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board of education elections

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Polling sites for this year’s school budget and BOE elections. Centereach High School, left, and Newfield High School. Left file photo by Julianne Mosher; right from Facebook

Residents of the Middle Country Central School District will go to the polls on Tuesday, May 16, to vote on the district’s proposed annual budget for the 2023‒24 school year and trustees to sit on the district’s Board of Education.

MCCSD is proposing a $285.9 million budget, up nearly $11 million from the previous year, with a 1.6% tax levy increase that is under the tax cap.

District voters will also select three candidates to serve three-year terms on the Board of Education. In this year’s contest, three incumbents will square off against three electoral challengers.

Trustees Doreen Feldmann, Deborah Mann-Rodriguez and Kathleen Walsh are defending their seats against candidates Bruce Bennett, Thomas Bettua and Kimberly Crawford-Arbocus.

A Meet the Candidates forum hosted by the Suffolk Region PTA was held last month and is available on the district’s YouTube channel.

Tuesday’s school budget and trustee vote will occur from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. The new gymnasiums at Centereach High School and Newfield High School will serve as polling locations.

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Polling sites for this year’s school budget and BOE elections. Earl L. Vandermeulen High School, left, and Comsewogue High School. Left file photo by Elana Glowatz; right courtesy CSD

Port Jeff and Port Jeff Station/Terryville residents will head to the polls this Tuesday, May 16, for elections that will help shape the complexion and trajectory of their public schools.

Port Jefferson School District

Taxpayers of Port Jefferson School District will weigh in on another proposed capital bond, this time a $15.9 million infrastructure package to upgrade aging and outdated facilities at the high school. The bond vote comes just over six months after district residents rejected a pair of capital bonds in December, which together had totaled nearly $25 million.

District officials suggest the new bond proposal reflects public input and voter feedback received during last year’s election cycle, eliminating the proposed artificial turf athletic field at the high school and scaling down the financial request by about a third. 

“We listened and we pared it down,” Jessica Schmettan, the district’s superintendent of schools, told the Port Jefferson Village Board of Trustees during a May 1 public meeting at Village Hall. “It may not be as small as what people would have liked to have, but we really feel like this will get us ahead.”

Among the proposed capital improvements would be updated heating and cooling systems; demolition of the exterior music portable and relocation of music rooms; renovations to locker rooms and related athletic spaces; and repurposing of existing team rooms to accommodate tech ed and makerspace facilities.

Given the logistical constraints of getting these projects approved through voter referendum, the district also aims to restructure its long-term payment strategy, building up capital reserves and incorporating infrastructure investments into future annual budgets.

For more information on the bond proposal, visit www.portjeffschools.org/bond/home.

District voters will also decide upon the proposed annual budget for the 2023-24 school year. At $47.1 million, total appropriations are up slightly from $46.1 million the previous year. The tax levy increase for district taxpayers is 1.98%, which is within the allowable limit.

This year’s election for the district Board of Education will be uncontested, with only two candidates running for three-year terms each. Incumbent trustee David Keegan is seeking reelection, while Shannon Handley, a BOE candidate in 2021, pursues the open seat of trustee Ravi Singh, who is not running for reelection.

Voting will take place Tuesday in the cafeteria at Earl L. Vandermeulen High School from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Comsewogue School District

The proposed 2023-24 annual budget at Comsewogue School District shows $110.8 million in total appropriations, with a tax levy increase of 3.7%. A second proposition will be on the ballot, which, if approved, would authorize the school district to withdraw $4.5 million from its $15 million capital reserve established in 2019.

The proposed capital improvements include the completion of the roof at Comsewogue High School; renovations to the high school’s courtyard; theatrical lighting at John F. Kennedy Middle School; and masonry work at Clinton Avenue Elementary School to fix leaks.

These enhancements qualify for state aid, according to district officials, who estimate these expenses will not affect the tax levy.

In the election for Comsewogue’s Board of Education, incumbent BOE president Alexandra Gordon and trustee James Sanchez are running unopposed.

Voting will be held Tuesday, May 16, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the gymnasium at Comsewogue High School.

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Pixabay photo

Residents of the Miller Place, Mount Sinai, Rocky Point and Shoreham-Wading River school districts are gearing up for this year’s school elections on Tuesday, May 16.

Miller Place Union Free School District

Voters in Miller Place will consider the district’s proposed 2023‒24 annual budget. With total expenditures at approximately $80.4 million, the budget increased by 3.47%, with a 2.34% tax levy increase and staying under the tax cap.

According to school officials, the increases will enable the district to accommodate new elective course offerings; continued funding for co-curricular activities, clubs and athletics; and universal prekindergarten. 

Residents will also pick two of the three candidates running for the district’s Board of Education. Three-term incumbent trustee and BOE president Lisa Reitan will defend her seat against challengers John Galligan and Jenna Stingo, both of whom ran for the school board in 2022.

The three candidates squared off during a Meeting the Candidates forum on Tuesday, May 2. The full video from this meeting can be accessed from the district website’s homepage.

Voting will occur from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at North Country Road Middle School.

Mount Sinai Union Free School District

Mount Sinai residents will consider a proposed 2023‒24 annual budget totaling $66.8 million, which stays under the tax cap with a tax levy increase of 4.65%. 

Three additional propositions are on the Mount Sinai ballot, including Proposition II, the district’s $1.8 million library budget. 

Proposition III would authorize the district to use $1.5 million from its capital reserves to renovate and/or replace science classrooms with proposed renovations of library, technology and guidance facilities at Mount Sinai High School. Proposition IV calls to amend the district’s capital reserve, increasing its ceiling to $20 million. District officials maintain these capital improvements will not affect the tax levy.

For this year’s Board of Education election, voters will select three candidates to serve three-year terms. In a crowded field, incumbent BOE president Peter Van Middelem and trustee Edward Law will defend their seats against Nicholas DeVito, Christy Barbera and Charles Carron. Incumbent trustee Robert Sweeney is not seeking reelection.

The budget and BOE votes at MSSD will take place from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Mount Sinai Elementary School.

Rocky Point Union Free School District

The proposed 2023‒24 annual budget for the Rocky Point Union Free School District increased to $93.9 million, up from $88 million last year. The proposed budget carries a tax levy increase of 3.23% that stays under the tax cap.

According to the district newsletter, the budget increases would enable Rocky Point schools to maintain existing programs and services; implement a nine-period program at the middle and high schools; expand elective opportunities; and build upon safety and security efforts.

This district’s current capital reserve fund expires this month. Consequently, voters will also weigh in on a ballot measure, Proposition II, creating a new 10-year capital reserve fund, with no funds allocated to this reserve in this year’s budget. This reserve would enable the district “to set aside funds for future capital building maintenance and improvement projects,” according to the newsletter.

Rocky Point residents will also select two candidates to serve three-year terms on the district Board of Education. Incumbent BOE president Jessica Ward and trustee Erin Walsh will defend their seats against challenger Nicole Kelly, who ran for the school board in 2022.

Voting will be held in the gymnasium at Rocky Point High School from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Shoreham-Wading River Central School District

Shoreham-Wading River Central School District proposes an $84.8 million annual budget for the 2023‒24 school year, up 2.2% from the previous year and carrying a 1.61% tax levy increase that stays under the tax cap.

According to the district newsletter, the proposed budget would maintain existing programs and class sizes, support facilities maintenance, enhance safety and security standards and lower the use of reserves.

Three incumbents are up for reelection in this year’s Board of Education contest, all of whom are running unopposed. BOE president Katie Andersen, vice president Henry Perez and trustee Michael Lewis have each declared bids for reelection.

To read their candidate profiles, visit the district website, selecting the “Meet the BOE Candidates 2023” tab on the homepage.

Voting at SWRCSD will take place from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the main gym at Shoreham-Wading River High School.

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Miller Place High School. File photo by Kevin Redding

Residents are able to vote between two local residents for the upcoming board of education and budget vote on May 18. 

One seat is up for election this year, and up to the plate are candidates Desiree O’Neil and Bryan Makarius. 

When elected, the position will count as a three-year term, beginning July 1 of this year through June 30, 2024.

Both are first-time runners. 

Bryan Makarius 

Photo from Bryan Makarius

Bryan Makarius brings his experience in education to the table when it comes to running for the Miller Place Board of Ed, but being a father of two in the district, he said he also wanted to give back. 

“I wanted to make a difference and I know I have that skill set in order to help make those decisions,” he said. “I really understand what’s going on in the community.”

Makarius has volunteered with the Port Jefferson Fire Department since he was a teenager — serving more than 24 years. He said the experience he gained there, and while holding elected positions in the department, provided him with “invaluable growth as a community leader.” 

He and his wife, Leah, decided to pack up and move to Miller Place in 2012 to raise his family.

By day working in the Longwood School District, Makarius said he chose to run not out of anger towards the district — he wants to give back. 

“I think the district has done a good job. I think the people there have done a good job,” he said. “But I just want to be able to get back to my community more.”

He said he wants to keep continuing the quality education that Miller Place is known for. One task he wants to tackle is making class sizes smaller. 

But he said he’ll be there to listen to any and all concerns.  

“If there is something that the community really wants, in which they have said over and over again, we have to find out a way to make that work within the budget,” he said. 

Desiree O’Neil 

Photo from Desiree O’Neil

Born and raised in Miller Place, and a graduate of Miller Place High School class of ’96, Desiree O’Neil decided to run for board of ed because she believes the district needs more transparency.

“The biggest concern right now in the Miller play school district is the lack of communication from administration and the board of education,” she said. “This past year was obviously very difficult for many school districts, and our district was not very willing to work with the community to offer choices for their children.”

O’Neil said the district did a poor job navigating the pandemic — elementary schools were back in school all year, while secondary students weren’t back full-time until March 1. 

“We weren’t given an option for families for a virtual platform until quite a few months into the school year,” she said. 

If elected, O’Neil said she wants to address the different limitations the district has, including a better curriculum for gifted and talented students in the elementary level. 

O’Neil graduated from Stony Brook University with a Bachelor’s in English and works as a senior benefits consultant profession with more than 20 years of industry experience.

The mom of two is active in the Miller Place School District athletic programs, helping put together the Section XII rally with other local school districts last year. 

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File photo

By Harry To

The Shoreham-Wading River board of education will be conducting its budget vote and board elections on May 18. The two candidates are running unopposed.

Robert Rose

Trustee Robert Rose is running unopposed, making this his fourth reelection since 2012. 

In an email interview with TBR, Rose highlighted his success in getting students back in the classroom. 

“I think the biggest accomplishment has been getting our students back in school every day,” he said. “I think our teachers and staff have done a great job during this global pandemic. I also think that our facilities have drastically improved over the last several years.”

Rose has more-than 20 years of experience in education. For the past 15 years, he has served as the assistant principal at Smithtown High School East.

James Smith

Board member James Smith is also running unopposed. He was first elected in 2018 after his second run for office. 

In the 2018 election Smith ran on a campaign of greater psychological and emotional resources for students, calling for more psychologists and social workers in schools. 

Smith has been an active Shoreham resident for about nine years. In that time, he became vice president of the PTA. He also coached kids through Sound Beach Soccer Club and Father Joe’s Soccer.

Smith did not respond to TBR’s request for comment.

Voting

Board elections will take place with the budget vote for a 1% tax levy increase and two capital project propositions Tuesday, May 18, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the Shoreham-Wading River High School gym, located at 250A Route 25A in Shoreham.

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File photo

By Chris Cumella

Michael Lisa is looking forward to serving on the Rocky Point Board of Education after running unopposed.

Along with incumbent Edward Casswell, Lisa plans to claim two open seats on the trustee’s board on May 18 after what will be a landslide victory for both candidates.

Caswell did not respond to a request for a conversation from TBR.

Working in the Massapequa school district for over 23 years, Lisa is a high school social studies teacher, but yearns to partake in a larger conversation about the future of education. 

His unique experiences garnered over two decades of being an educator is what Lisa believes will make him a benefit to the district upon election.

“I have aspired to become a member of the board,” Lisa said. “I’m ready to represent the Rocky Point community members in any way which I can.”

While managing projects on the technology committee for the Rocky Point School District, Lisa said that he had seen firsthand what has worked and what has not when it comes to tech in education. 

Remote learning is a hurdle that Lisa said must be overcome by providing a safer, cleaner in-person learning environment for students and staff to return to in the fall.

Within his classes, Lisa noticed a decline in classroom productivity resulting from remote learning, a compromise that has proven safe yet challenging for many in the school district.

“If we do get back to a sense of normalcy, of course, there will be some difficulty transitioning back,” Lisa said. “This social isolation has brought a great deal of anxiety among students. Not being in person, no real interaction with your classmates, it’s a struggle to reach many of these learners remaining at home.”

Further collaboration with teachers, members of the board, teachers, and students — Lisa is advocating for continuously collecting input from the Rocky Point community to reflect on what is working in their system and what must change. 

Lisa has analyzed the school district from various perspectives as a teacher, a community member and a father. 

Now he is taking the initiative to give back to his community by providing an optimal in-person educational experience for the youth of Rocky Point.

“I’m looking forward to engaging with our students and others to bring back this sense of normalcy that we all need for our wellbeing,” he said.

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