Valley Stream schools release 2020 budget, trustee vote tallies

District 13 2020-2021 budget fails to pass

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Valley Stream’s high school district and three elementary school districts have released the results of their respective June 16 school board trustee election and budget votes. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, voting was primarily handled through mail-in absentee ballots.

Perhaps most significantly among the results, District 13’s $55.3 million 2020-2021 budget failed to pass, with a final tally of 1,353 votes for the proposed budget to 1,522 against. It means the district is required to adopt a contingency budget, which according to State Education Department guidelines includes only “expenditures considered essential to maintain an educational program, preserve property and assure the health and safety of students and staff.” Additionally, it is required to maintain its tax levy at the same level as in the current year’s budget.

Also in District 13, incumbents Frank Chiachiere and Patricia Farrell won re-election with 1,488 and 1,833 votes respectively. They ran against challengers Anthony Bonelli and William Freda who each received 1,274 and 914 votes respectively. Newcomer Gerardo Cavaliere won the seat of Sean Douglas, who did not seek re-election, with 1,430 votes. He ran against Michael Morin, who received 1,261 votes. Jennifer Oliveri ran unopposed for the seat of Vinny Pandit, who resigned in November, 2019. She received 2,324 votes.

In District 24, Melissa Herrera narrowly won the seat of Paul DePace, who did not seek re-election, in a four-way race with 313 votes. She ran against Cristina Arroyo, Markus Wilson and Anthony Cruz, who received 220, 305 and 109 votes respectively. The district’s nearly $31 million 2020-2021 budget passed 724 to 404.

In District 30, incumbents James Lavery and C. Sandra Okafor ran unopposed for their seats and received 365 and 121 votes respectively. Its $38.3 million budget passed 446 to 277.

Additionally the Central High School District $126 million 2020-2021 budget narrowly passed 2,425 to 2,239.