Last week, students nationwide walked out of their schools to stand up against gun violence and to demand stricter gun laws, including young people in the TBR News Media coverage areas.
It’s crucial for students to know that we journalists walk with you. We may not always be there physically, but we are always there in spirit. As community watchdogs, it is our duty to help educate people on what’s going on in their towns, and to let those in charge know that we are watching them too.
Parents, teachers, administrators and lawmakers must understand that young people are terrified by the headlines of the lastest mass shootings at schools. Our youth are being targeted, as our grownups stand by without solutions.
Yes, many school districts along the North Shore have several security measures in place. Visitors are often required to ring a buzzer before entering a front door, where an attendant will buzz them in. Once inside the main entrance, they cannot walk through the school without showing ID first. Often, a security guard or hall monitor will escort them to wherever they may be going.
While we applaud district administrators who have taken extra precaution to secure their buildings, protecting the lives of children and teachers goes beyond locked-door policies.
To prevent mass shootings — such as those in Uvalde, Texas; Sandy Hook, Connecticut; and Parkland, Florida — it is time for our nation to stop avoiding the deeper conversations about gun reform. The horrifying headlines we see every day will not disappear until there are real changes.
If a parent visiting a school to see their son or daughter receive an award is required to go through a few steps just to walk through a school, then someone buying a gun of any kind needs to go through several measures. The procedures in place are simply not enough.
We know that there are some in this country hellbent on committing senseless harm who yearn to leave a mark on this world by depriving it of what is good and pure. Our nation needs stricter gun control laws so that these deranged individuals can be denied the opportunity to be remembered for the carnage they inflict upon humanity.
The fight against gun violence goes even deeper than stricter laws, though. The battle begins with making mental health services available to everyone who needs them, including our youngest citizens. Children should always know that there is someone to talk to and help them navigate whatever they are going through in life.
Sometimes one’s journey in life may feel like a deep, dark tunnel. It’s up to parents, journalists, educators, administrators and elected officials to show our young people that there is always a light at the end of any tunnel.
Most of all, students need to know that the adults in their communities are there for them. We encourage students to attend board of ed meetings and to step up and speak out. We also invite our young readers to write in and let us know how they feel about the current gun laws, school safety and whatever else may be on their minds.
As votes were being counted in the Three Village Central School District for budget approval and board of education trustees on the night of May 17, the budget race was a close one.
At the end of the night, the 2022-23 budget of $224 million passed by 66 votes, 2,584-2,518. The new budget is $3.8 million more than last year’s contingency budget of $220.2 million, reflecting a 1.72% increase. The proposed tax levy is $165 million.
Last year, although 57.7% of taxpayers voted in favor of a $222.6 million budget — 2,286-1,677 — it failed to pass. The proposed 2021-22 budget pierced the 1.37% cap on the tax levy increase, necessitating a supermajority approval, or 60% of the vote.
TBR News Media asked readers how they voted on May 17 regarding the 2022-23 TVCSD budget.
Those who approved
Ian Farber, of East Setauket, and a member of the district’s budget advisory committee that was formed earlier this year, said he voted “yes.” He said he believes the district “made a good faith effort to increase the efficiency and efficacy of how our tax dollars are utilized.” He added he believed the committee helped facilitate that.
“While there is more work to be done, voting ‘no’ would not yield any positive outcomes,” he said. “Some in our community think that we operated this past year on contingency with no impact to the students and the instructional staff. While we fared better than other districts on contingency, some classes couldn’t be expanded and teachers that were previously dedicated to a specific school had to float between multiple buildings. The district was also prevented from paying back money into the reserves, putting us all at an increased fiscal risk.”
Farber said he felt if the district operated on a contingency budget for years in a row, it would erode the district’s educational institution.
Shoshana Hershkowitz, of South Setauket, also voted “yes,” saying that “the difference in taxes between the proposed budget and the contingency budget is minimal, and I think our schools have done an excellent job through several challenging years.”
She said addressing rising costs and making other changes is beyond the district level.
“If we want to address rising costs on Long Island, the way to do it is by looking at issues including the lack of affordable housing, health care benefits being tied to employment, and the fact that Long Island has over 120 school districts, which increases both cost and segregation,” she said. “Defunding our public schools, as some have advocated for, isn’t the way to reduce the cost of living in our region.”
She added that passing the New York Health Act would mean public sector benefits would no longer be part of school budgets.
Anne Chimelis, of Setauket, said this year as well as last she encouraged people to vote “yes.” She said having taught and lived in other school districts, she has witnessed when budgets are voted down, and she feels it doesn’t help the students. Voting a budget down is shortsighted, Chimelis said, and there are other ways to address it.
“The reality is your tax bill doesn’t really change that much when you vote down a budget, and things only get worse for your kids, for the district as a whole,” she said. “So, that’s not really the way to effect change in my opinion. There are many other ways to effect change.”
She applauded the formation of the budget advisory committee this year.
“I think having administrators, teachers, other people from the school community be part of that next year is a great idea, and I’m sure that in working together they can continue to find ways to spend money more efficiently without just summarily voting down a budget,” she said.
Chimelis said she wasn’t pleased that 4.5 nursing positions were being eliminated with the 2022-23 budget. The district’s decision was stated that the nurses were no longer needed due to the wake of declining COVID-19 infection rates. However, she said she wouldn’t vote down the budget for one issue.
For Farber, he would like the STEM program to be brought back to the elementary schools and expanded into STEAM to incorporate the arts.
“No budget is perfect, and 3V still has room to improve,” Farber said, despite his “yes” vote.
He added, “Continuing and expanding upon collaboration is how we improve.”
A ‘no’ vote
David McKinnon, who ran for school board in 2020 and 2021, was also a member of the budget advisory committee, which he said he believes made the process more transparent to the community but was not set up to constrain costs.
The East Setauket resident said he was disturbed that the teachers union, New York State United Teachers, injects themselves into local school district elections. According to NYSUT’s website, the “statewide union has a political fund-raising arm called VOTE-COPE.” The nonpartisan fund was established to coordinate “the voluntary contributions of members and supports NYSUT-endorsed candidates and campaign committees that are pro-public-education and pro-labor.”
McKinnon said, while he supports teachers and other workers, the campaign means more money is spent on advocating for residents to vote “yes” than “no.” NYSUT did not return requests for the amount of funds invested in the TVCSD election.
He said he believes “most people in the district want accountability on education and on spending” and that it would be best for residents’ decisions to be unaffected by a lobbyist group.
“Ideally decisions surrounding the schools would be made by the local community without external interference,” he said.
McKinnon added he believes with NYSUT getting involved that teachers may have a louder voice, when “there are multiple stakeholders,” students, parents, teachers, administrators and staff. He added he believes that the opinions of students and parents should be heard and balanced with the needs of teachers and administrators.
“Our school district is currently funded at close to the highest level in the nation on a cost per pupil basis, taking account of economies of scale related to school size,” he said. “Given this already very high level of funding, the fiscally responsible position is to keep the cost per pupil reasonably flat in terms of real dollars.”
McKinnon said with declining enrollment over more than a decade in the district there should be a zero budget increase.
“Instead, the budget has increased substantially over the last decade, except for last year,” he said.
Barbara Rosati, represents parents and educators through the group Three Village Parents Alliance, which has a Facebook page, a mailing list of nearly 200 residents and a website. She is also married to McKinnon. She said she voted “no,” and believes that just because she and others did so, it doesn’t mean they are unsupportive of the district or education.
Rosati said she and others believe the district’s core academic programs, especially at the elementary level, can be updated and improved. While she knows parents who have supplemented their children’s education through out-of-school tutoring or enrichment programs, she said it can be expensive and, for children, cumbersome.
She and other parents have also started a conversation with the district about “excessively early school start times,” and the TVPA group members are also concerned with growing property taxes, which they feel are due to excessive administrative costs.
“Yet, none of the tax increase on this year’s budget is aimed at addressing them,” she said. “After advocating for these issues, and closely following the district’s financial decisions, it would seem that this does not reflect a lack of funds but rather a lack of political will.”
She added, “Last year’s 0% tax increase budget could support all the existing programs, COVID-required extra instructional and noninstructional personnel, and also the addition of a few narrow interest programs.”
Marlo Dombroff, of East Setauket, also voted “no,” and she said she felt recommendations that the budget advisory committee made were not followed.
“When I evaluated the reasons for why the budget was to increase again, I couldn’t find a clear explanation of how the additional funds would directly benefit the students,” she said. “The budget continues to increase each year and it is almost imperceptible where those monies are going. As a parent, I don’t see any improvements in education. I had a child graduate last year who went through K-12, and I have a child now who is in 10th grade, who has been here also since kindergarten.”
As someone who has attended all board of education meetings, she feels changes and improvements suggested by parents have not been “put into place, regardless of heavy parent lobbying.” Dombroff said examples of needed improvements are to the elementary math classes and starting foreign language teaching in the elementary schools.
District’s statement
TVCSD Superintendent Cheryl Pedisich, who is retiring at the end of the school year, said in a statement the district was “thankful to the community for its participation in this year’s annual budget vote.”
“We look forward to continuing to work collaboratively with all our stakeholders to ensure that the district maintains the robust and supportive educational program it provides for all students,” she said. “In recent years, specifically during the past few years of the pandemic, we were able to sustain and build upon our practices to meet this goal.”
Pedisich listed the district bringing students back to school full time and in person during the 2020-21 academic year and implementing “initiatives designed to support learners across all levels — from the youngest to our seniors — all while reducing costs through the consolidation of administrative positions and other operational efficiencies” among the district’s accomplishments in meeting its goals.
A scene from Stony Brook University's commencement ceremony on May 20. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from Stony Brook University's commencement ceremony on May 20. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from Stony Brook University's commencement ceremony on May 20. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from Stony Brook University's commencement ceremony on May 20. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from Stony Brook University's commencement ceremony on May 20. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from Stony Brook University's commencement ceremony on May 20. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from Stony Brook University's commencement ceremony on May 20. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from Stony Brook University's commencement ceremony on May 20. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Students celebrate commencement day at Stony Brook University on May 20. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Students celebrate commencement day at Stony Brook University on May 20. Photo from SBU
A decorated mortarboard at Stony Brook University's 2022 commencement ceremony. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from Stony Brook University's commencement ceremony on May 20. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from Stony Brook University's commencement ceremony on May 20. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from Stony Brook University's commencement ceremony on May 20. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from Stony Brook University's commencement ceremony on May 20. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Film director Todd Haynes received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree at Stony Brook University's commencement ceremony on May 20. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Attendees applaud the 2022 graduates at Stony Brook University's commencement ceremony. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A decorated mortarboard at Stony Brook University's 2022 commencement ceremony. Photo by Rita J. Egan
State Senator Mario Mattera, Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn, Town of Brookhaven Councilperson Jonathan Kornreich and political commentator Chris Hahn attended Stony Brook University's 2022 commencement ceremony. Photo by Rita J. Egan
State Senator Mario Mattera and Suffolk County Legislator Kara Hahn. Photo by Rita J. Egan
A scene from Stony Brook University's commencement ceremony on May 20. Photo by Rita J. Egan
SBU President Maurie McInnis and Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone talk before the 2022 commencement ceremony at Stony Brook University. Photo by Rita J. Egan
Student Speaker Ahmed Syed takes a selfie before speaking at Stony Brook University's commencement ceremony on May 20. Photo from SBU
SBU President Maurie McInnis speaks at Stony Brook University's commencement ceremony on May 20. Photo from SBU
More than 7,600 Stony Brook University students filed into Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium to take part in the 2022 Degree Commencement Celebration ceremony Friday, May 20.
The students were part of one of the largest graduating classes in the university’s 65-year history. They were awarded a combined 7,610 degrees and certificate completions. The Class of 2022 included students from 68 countries and 45 states, and the students ranged from 19 to 71. In addition to the in-person event, it was live streamed.
During the ceremony, film director Todd Haynes received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree. Over the past four decades, he has taken part in several films and television projects as a film director, screenwriter and producer. He has won the Grand Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival for his work on “Poison,” an American science fiction drama horror film that he also wrote. Haynes is a longtime friend of Christine Vachon, founder of Stony Brook’s MFA in Film, and has collaborated often with her and guest lectured to students in the program.
Haynes had advice for the graduates.
“I just wanted to acknowledge the remarkable teachers in my life, who I feel gave to me the tools to engage with a history and a culture that contained all the contradictions and many of the challenges that we confront today, that you guys confront today,” he said. “They helped me feel inspired to engage with those challenges, not to retreat or even impose my own solutions, but to dig deeper, to raise questions and respond to them in my own way, which is what I have the unique privilege of doing as a filmmaker. I wish for every student here today those kinds of openness, those kinds of tools as you guys all step out into this wild world. You deserve to feel as optimistic and inspired as I did at your age and know that you embody all our very best hopes and finest dreams.”
Among the speakers at the event were SBU President Maurie McInnis, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and student speaker for the Class of 2022 Ahmed Syed, a biology major. During his speech, Syed told his fellow SBU students about his parents who moved to the U.S. from India when they were in their 30s. Syed’s three brothers also graduated from SBU, and his older sibling, who is now a doctor in Florida, was the student speaker when he graduated from the university.
“Stony Brook wasn’t just a college our family went to, it’s been our legacy,” Syed said. “Understand that my parents came here with nothing and now all four of their sons are college graduates. Not just four college graduates, but four Seawolves. This is nothing more than a testament to what Stony Brook stands for.”
After acknowledging exceptional students in the graduating class, McInnis had praise for all the members who she said inspired her and others.
“As you join Stony Brook’s more than 200,000 alumni across the globe, I hope you’ll stay connected to this unique and passionate community,” the university president said. “I hope you’ll continue to see Stony Brook as a second home, one that celebrates all you accomplish, strengthens your critical perspectives and supports your most ambitious endeavors.”
She quoted Jackson Pollock who once said, “Each age finds its own technique.”
“With the Class of 2022, it is very clear to me that your technique is to maintain a truly creative and collaborative spirit that will be your path forward,” McInnis said. “I know you will move together as individuals with a sense of discovery, ambition, innovation and artistry. Stony Brook University is incredibly proud of all you have achieved here — and all you will go on to create.”
Port Jeff village trustee on his role in tackling the big projects
Trustee Bruce Miller (right) being sworn into office. Photo courtesy of Miller
By Raymond Janis
Village of Port Jefferson trustee Bruce Miller has taken on several big projects throughout his time in office.
TBR News Media had an opportunity this week to catch up with him for an exclusive interview. In this interview, Miller addresses his background in education, the East Beach bluff, his preference for architecture and more.
What is your background and why did you get involved in local government?
I was always a believer in public service. I got that from my parents, who also felt the value of contributing. I was drafted into the Army in ’66 and left as a sergeant with honorable discharge. I am a 2nd vice commander of the American Legion post in Port Jefferson Station.
I got an excellent education from Stony Brook University. From there, I became a public school teacher in special education. While I was doing this, I also volunteered at my daughter’s school. I was on the [Port Jefferson] school board for 12 years, a president, vice president, and a budget and technology chairperson.
I was a teacher that understood board politics and the requirements of training teachers. I was the driving force in moving the district from what I would consider mediocre in this region to a nationally ranked school district. We achieved a level of 34th in the nation, according to a Washington Post survey, and this drove up our real estate values. We were number one for several years in New York state with real estate appreciation and one year we were near 10th in the nation. And this is not me saying this, but The New York Times saying this. I had a very successful run during my 12 years on the school board.
I have been working for about 30 years on the conservation and advisory committee. I was for a while the trustee liaison to that committee. It used to be a board and I would like to see that happen again.
There’s a lot more, but maybe I can speak to them through some specific questions.
Miller receives a regional Scope award for educational excellence during his tenure as a school board member. Photo courtesy of Miller
How has your background as an educator shaped your approach as village trustee?
There are two aspects to my educational background: my teaching background and my school board background. As a teacher, I was a public servant and of course the village board is a public office. In teaching, you know there are budgets to deal with and priorities to be set. As a school board member, again you’re dealing with budgets. I dealt a lot with technology, doing what I thought was forward looking and I found that I could better express myself in bringing excellent technology to the school district in Port Jefferson.
Because of my educational background, and by working hard in this effort, we brought really excellent education and technology to the district. Budgets are another aspect. You have to be able to fund these things, and in a public forum you need to be able to get support from the public. You need to be able to persuade people that you have a vision, whether it’s in the school district or the village.
What are the most critical issues facing the village?
Critical has a number of meanings, one of which is that something is happening now and you have to do something about it. In that context, something is happening now: Our [East Beach] bluff is eroding and we have to do something about it.
We can either let the country club slide into the Long Island Sound or we can take measures to remediate. You have the country club above and the beach below. I voted for a rock wall that would preserve the beach and access to the beach. There is another, larger plan that we are still looking at that involves driving steel sheeting in front of the country club. We’re within literally a couple of feet of losing the tennis courts and they are going. New plans have to be made for them.
The question is do you go for the steel sheeting or do you let nature take its course? I’m not decided on that at this point. One of the things I respect about the village is that we have a lot of intelligent people who bring a lot of knowledge and background. In the few discussions we’ve had over Zoom, there were suggestions that were very positive that were an alternative to the steel sheeting suggestion.
I have been emailing the board for a very long time regarding the fact that a) we should have a public hearing on this, which is not going to happen; and b) that we should be permitting the residents to vote on a bond. We’re talking about $10 million total on this project and they should decide what they want and we should be listening to all the viewpoints. We should be more open and transparent in terms of solutions and alternatives.
We’re also losing revenue on the power plant. Over a number of years, we’re going to lose 47% of the revenue and we’re more than halfway through that process. Obviously, the businesspeople are going to see more in taxes because we’re receiving less from an alternate source. In my opinion, we need to rebuild with quality, so that you have a magnet for Port Jefferson, for the business community.
A lot of people come to Port Jefferson because it’s different. It’s a real village with a history and people like that. We should be emphasizing that history. We also need to focus on green energy. We need to do as much as we can. By doing this, bring more revenue into the village, the school district, the fire department, the library, etc.
How would you like to preserve what you call the New England heritage within the village?
Miller at Village Hall in Port Jefferson. File photo
We’re already doing some of that. We have what we call the Roe House, which is on Barnum Avenue. This is from the Roe family. It’s an authentic, prerevolutionary, colonial structure. We have a number of exhibits within the Roe House that point to our history.
We often call it the Setauket Spy Ring, but Port Jefferson was also part of this history, the Roes are a part of this history. We have this heritage, it’s important, and we are emphasizing it. We’re going to see an upgrade in the status of the building. It now has a historic designation and we’re going to see more of that.
How has the village changed from the time you took office and what measures have you taken to guide those changes?
There’s been an awful lot of change in regards to uptown development. When I first came into office, this was in the project stage. Now we’re seeing stuff rising above the ground and a number of properties that are either approved or well along in the approval process. There’s a former fish restaurant [PJ Lobster House] on North Country Road and 25A. The restaurant has moved downtown and they’re beginning the demolition phase.
We’ve seen a project on Texaco Avenue that has been completed, two other projects at the foot of Main and Broadway completed. Another project where a former carpet store, Cappy’s Carpets, used to be has been completed and occupied.
There are a lot of problems with flooding in Port Jefferson, a lot of hills. Everything runs down into the lower Port area. I’ve been talking about mixed surfaces, not just hard pavement, which contribute to the velocity of the water. We’re making some progress with that by having water gardens.
We have developed our parks, which I think are very attractive. We have a Dickens Festival that draws people into the village, which of course the merchants love. It’s really an excellent festival, voted best festival on Long Island several times. Every year it gets a little better.
When I was in the school district, the motto was: “Excellent at getting better.” I want to achieve that and live up to that. When I’m in the village, I want to see excellence. I have had battles over architecture. I want it to be excellent, to improve the village, and to attract more people to the village.
When I was in the school district, the motto was: “Excellent at getting better.” I want to achieve that and live up to that. — Bruce Miller
You have an upcoming meeting with representatives of the Long Island Rail Road. Could you preview that meeting?
It’s about a vision, about looking at a need, seeing an alternative to the present situation, and advocating for that.
A lot of this is about developing networks and relationships. I’ve met with Phil Eng, the former LIRR chairperson, under the context of a better ride. It’s a long ride to Manhattan for a lot of people who commute. Out of necessity, it requires a transfer either at Huntington or Hicksville because you cannot take a diesel engine into Manhattan. The future is a better ride into Penn Station, but also a better ride into Grand Central Station, which will be a possibility in the future.
This requires electric energy and how do you get that? Obviously a third rail is a possible solution, a very expensive solution. My comments to Mr. Eng and his associates have been, “By the way, we pay taxes too.” There was a time when the Ronkonkoma line, which has a decent ride, was diesel, but they electrified it. So is it our turn? This is what I’ve been advocating for.
We want to get our foot on the ladder. We’re kind of standing at the bottom of the ladder watching everybody else go by. We want to get on the ladder and then move upward. On [May 31], we will be meeting with the Long Island Rail Road planning people to discuss the future and the possibilities. We will be discussing the schedule, we will be discussing a second track, we will be discussing a third rail, battery electric, and moving the LIRR station in Port Jefferson. Basically they would move the station and the rail yards west and eliminate the crossing in Upper Port, which would do a lot for traffic.
I work on big projects and these are not accomplished in six months or a year. It takes several terms, but if you achieve these goals, they are very positive for the residents of the village.
Trustee Bruce Miller delivers a speech regarding National Grid. File photo
In your opinion, how can residents play a more active role in decision-making?
I had mentioned the country club and participation on the part of the residents in terms of a public hearing and being able to vote on major issues that affect them. I believe we should have more participation in this area.
During COVID, we had board meetings on Zoom. Now we have public meetings where the public attends, but we’re not having meetings on Zoom. Some of the people I know in the village who are infirm or who have particular medical issues that prevent them from attending public meetings are kind of shut out of the process. I am pressing, and will continue to press, for public meetings upstairs in the Village Hall, but also a component on Zoom where people can not only look in but participate as we had done during the COVID era.
I think that would be a very important step forward. I have just learned that Riverhead is going to be doing this and there are a number of other communities on Long Island that do this. In the past, people who are not comfortable going into public places were shut out, unable to participate. Now they are shut out again and I believe we should be supporting them.
Is there anything else that you would like to say to our readers?
As I said, I’m a person that works on big projects. I like to be a team member, but there are also certain times when you have to go against the grain. My belief is that I am an independent trustee. I’ve worked hard for the village and the school district. Also, in between my village and school district experience, I co-founded a grassroots committee to repower Port Jefferson.
I’ve worked with legislative leaders at all levels — town, village, county, state and congressional people as well. I believe that I have a vision. I have demonstrated in the past that I have executed on that vision and I want to continue to serve. I believe in service, I believe in giving back. I’m not wealthy, but I’m comfortable. I have time and I would like to contribute.
Green energy is very important to me. Making the village affordable is a very high priority for me. Transportation has become a high priority. I believe I have the vision and the energy and the diligence to work on this. I think the village needs a voice that will stand up and say, “No, this is not right.”
I am a very positive person, a very optimistic person, and I believe I take this optimism and enthusiasm to the work that I do.
Along the North Shore of the Town of Huntington, the majority of residents who turned out to vote May 17 in school elections approved their district’s budgets. They also voted incumbents back in to retain their seats on the boards of education, except in Cold Spring Harbor.
Cold Spring Harbor Central School District
Cold Spring Harbor school district residents passed a $73,420,423 budget, 817 to 276. The budget reflects a $1,403,005 increase from the 2021-22 budget of $72,017,418 and reflects a 1.64% tax levy which is below the cap.
Incumbent and current president Amelia Walsh Brogan lost her seat with 496 votes. Incumbent Julie Starrett did not seek reelection.
Alex Whelehan, 888 votes, and Bruce Sullivan, 648, will be joining the board as new trustees.
Commack Union Free School District
The $ 214,645,326 budget for 2022-23 was passed with 2,392 votes. There were 815 who voted “no.” Proposition 2 to decrease transportation limits in grades three through five from 1/2 mile to a 1/4 mile was also passed, 2,376 to 814.
The budget for next academic year is an increase of 4.64% over last year. This will result in a tax levy increase of 1.95%, under the tax cap of 3.82%. This includes a state aid package of $43 million.
Incumbents Steven Hartman and Justin Varughese retained their seats with 2,277 and 2,247 votes, respectively. Newcomers Pauline Fidalgo received 877 and Christopher Jurkovic 893.
Elwood Union Free School District
The $69,181,071 budget for the new academic year was passed in Elwood, 804 to 396. The dollar amount reflects a $2,267,492 increase and 3.39% increase over the previous budget of $66,913,579. The budget represents a tax levy increase of 2.9% which is under the district’s allowable tax levy of 3.4%.
Incumbent Deborah Weiss retains her seat with 965 votes. Local student Sean Camas received 183 votes
Harborfields Central School District
In Harborfields, residents approved the $92,895,995 budget, 1,655-353. The budget is $2,579,731 more than the 2021-22 budget of $90,316,264, which comes to a 2.86% increase. The budget is within the district’s allowed tax levy increase of 2.28%.
Incumbents Hansen Lee and Colleen Wolcott retained their seats with 1,490 and 1,530 votes, respectively. Challenger David Balistreri received 603 votes.
Huntington Union Free School District
The $142,968,343 Huntington school district budget passed with 834 “yes” votes and 150 voters saying “no.” The approved budget will be an increase of 2.62% over the current spending plan. However, it does not raise the tax levy. According to the district’s website, the lack of an increase to the tax levy is due to a $4,087,007 increase in state aid to $26,253,748, low debt and the district lessening expenditures.
Two capital reserve propositions passed, 860-117 and 854-124.
Incumbents Bill Dwyer and Michele Kustera ran unopposed with 823 and 838 votes, respectively.
Northport-East Northport Union Free School District
Residents approved the $177,856,084 Northport-East Northport budget, 2,285-1,674. They also passed proposition 2, by 2,983-958, to authorize $5,694,660 to be used for building projects including HVAC renovations, asbestos abatement and replacement of bleachers at Northport High School.
The approved budget represents a budget-to-budget increase of 1.81%. The tax levy increase is 0.61%, which involves an additional sum to average taxpayers of $49.79.
Incumbents Larry Licopoli, Allison Noonan and Thomas Loughran retained their seats on the board with 2,528, 2,676 and 2,729 votes, respectively. Challenger Frank Labate received 1,754.
Town of Smithtown residents who turned out to vote in school elections May 17 approved their district’s budgets. They also voted incumbents back in to retain their seats on the boards of education.
Commack Union Free School District
The $ 214,645,326 budget for 2022-23 was passed with 2,392 votes. There were 815 who voted “no.” Proposition 2 to decrease transportation limits in grades three through five from 1/2 mile to a 1/4 mile was also passed, 2,376 to 814.
The budget for next academic year is an increase of 4.64% over last year. This will result in a tax levy increase of 1.95%, under the tax cap of 3.82%. This includes a state aid package of $43 million.
Incumbents Steven Hartman and Justin Varughese retained their seats with 2,277 and 2,247 votes, respectively. Newcomers Pauline Fidalgo received 877 and Christopher Jurkovic 893.
Hauppauge Union Free School District
Hauppauge residents passed the $123,913,904 budget, 639-300. The budget reflects a 3.29% increase over last year and a 1.22% tax levy increase.
Three candidates ran for three seats, incumbent and board vice president Rob Scarito, 617; Michael Buscarino, 651; and incumbent and current board president David Barshay, 624.
Kings Park Central School District
The Kings Park $102.24 million budget was approved by voters, 2,229 to 1,125. The budget is an increase of 1.94% over last year. This will result in a 2.99% tax levy increase, or $23.39 more per year for the average taxpayer.
Trustees Pam DeFord and Dan Tew did not seek reelection, leaving two seats up for election. Patrick Hanley, 1,879 votes, and Shala Pascucci, 1,737, will be the new board trustees beginning July 1. They defeated Jaime Lelle, 1,529, and Douglas Cerrato, 1,490.
Smithtown Central School District
Smithtown school district residents approved the $267,786,882 budget, 5,250 to 2,241. The 2022-23 budget reflects a dollar change of $5,467,217 from last year’s budget of $262,319,665. The tax levy is 1.2% and is below the district’s allowable tax levy.
Proposition 2, establishing a capital reserve, passed 5,249 to 2,241.
Michael Catalanotto and Michael Saidens won back their seats, with 4,582 and 4,590 votes, respectively. This will be the second term for Catalanotto and the third for Saidens.
Charles Fisher, who challenged Catalanotto for his seat received 3,201 votes, and Angela Kouvel, who challenged Saidens, received 3,157.
In a joint statement sent May 18, Catalanotto and Saidens thanked Smithtown voters “for putting your confidence and trust in us.”
“We are honored to be reelected with nearly 60% of the vote,” they said. “The parents and residents had a choice to make, and voted to keep Smithtown schools great, support all of our students and protect our property values. People were fed up with our children being used as political footballs, and roundly rejected efforts to destabilize our schools. We couldn’t be prouder of the hard work our teachers, administrators and staff do, each and every day, in running a world-class school district and they will continue to have our strong support.”
After turning down last year’s budget, Three Village Central School District residents said “yes” to the 2022-23 budget of $224,060,618.
The votes were close with 2,584 approving the budget and 2,518 voting “no.”
The new budget is $3,798,183 more than last year’s contingency budget of $220,262,435, reflecting a 1.72% increase. The proposed tax levy is $164,954,877.
Four candidates vied for two seats in this year’s race. Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) did not run for reelection after serving on the board since 2008.
Incumbent Vincent Vizzo and his running mate Jennifer Solomon won with 2,715 and 2,650 votes, respectively. Reanna Fulton received 2,283 of the votes and Evan Proios 2,122.
For Vizzo, a 34-year veteran of the school district, it will be his second term on the board. He has been both a teacher and administrator in Three Village and a few years ago retired as principal of R.C. Murphy Jr. High School. As someone who has worked, lived in the district and also raised children in Three Village, he said he decided to run again because the community is “his life.”
In a May 18 email, Vizzo thanked community members for their support.
“I want their children to have the same excellent education that our children had in Three Village schools,” he said. “Once again ‘thank you,’ and I will work my hardest over the next three years.”
Jennifer Solomon
He added, “I am excited to be working with my dear former student and good friend Jen. She will be an asset to our board of education. A special thanks to Reanna and Evan for running for the board.”
Solomon, a former graduate of Three Village schools, who is raising four children in the district, ran for the first time. She has worked as a bilingual speech language pathologist in the Riverhead Central School District and is now an administrator in the Riverhead district.
Solomon said she was relieved when she heard she won.
“Last night a majority of voters, not only in Three Village, but across Long Island, affirmed that our public schools belong to all of us,” she said. “Still, there is a lot of work to be done to demonstrate how equitable and inclusive practices support students’ learning outcomes and add value to our school district. I’m looking forward to serving the community, and I am ready to do the work.”
Trustee terms begin July 1 and are for three years.
Newfield High School, above, will serve as one of the polling sites for this year’s school budget and board of education elections. File photo
Tomorrow, residents of the Middle Country Central School District will have the opportunity to weigh in on the future of their local schools.
On Tuesday, May 17, the district will hold its school budget vote and trustee election in the new gymnasiums at both Centereach and Newfield high schools from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The district’s proposed budget of $274,944,707 is up $5,863,749 from the previous year. According to the district’s planning presentation, the stated objective of this year’s budget is to “preserve the pre-K through grade 12 comprehensive program that is currently in place to ensure that students have the opportunities, resources and supports to successfully involve themselves in schooling and extracurricular activities so that they meet the expectations described in the Middle Country mission statement, and to do so by staying within the allowable tax levy cap.”
Centereach High School will serve as the other polling location. File photo
In the process of preparing this year’s annual budget, the district encountered a number of challenges related to increasing costs, decreasing state aid and declining district reserve balances. Homeowners will see an estimated tax levy increase of 3.10%, which approximates to a $177 increase per household.
Voters will be asked to elect four trustees. Incumbent Robert Feeney is being challenged by Tiffany Lorusso; incumbent Kristopher Oliva by Robert Hallock; incumbent Dawn Sharrock by Kimberly Crawford-Arbocus; and incumbent Denise Haggerty by Leah Fitzpatrick for a remaining two-year term.
Four candidates vied for two seats in this year’s race. Town of Brookhaven Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (D-Stony Brook) did not run for reelection after serving on the board since 2008.
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