10 Long Island districts approve slimmer school budgets

Voters in all 10 of the Long Island school districts that rejected budgets last month approved slimmed-down versions Tuesday evening.

With more than $800 million in spending proposals being considered, voters in East Rockaway, Elwood, Garden City, Herricks, Levittown, Port Jefferson, West Hempstead, West Babylon, Westbury and Wyandanch approved budget proposals. Scores of teachers' jobs and student services hung in the balance as residents voted.

School budgets typically account for more than 60 percent of homeowners' property taxes.

In Levittown, voters turned out in large numbers to approve, 4,399-3,288, a $192.8 million budget that would raise spending 5.74 percent and the tax levy by 2.63 percent.

The district had warned that, if the budget failed, it could be forced to shorten kindergarten classes and lay off more than 50 teachers and other staff on top of 14 jobs already eliminated.

One resident, Luis Lugo, who voted "yes" this afternoon at Levittown's Memorial Education Center on Abbey Lane, did so with family considerations in mind.

"Our child is enrolled now, so we think this is important," said Lugo, who works for a software company and whose 5-year-old son will attend kindergarten next year.

But Roberto Barrios said he now finds his property taxes burdensome after losing his job as a product manager for a manufacturer of alarm systems a year ago.

"Taxes are way out of hand," Barrios said. "In my opinion, the only way to solve the school-budget problem is to make all the districts one - consolidate."

In Westbury, voters passed the $105.2 million budget by a margin of 733-623, approving a spending increase of 1.61 percent and a tax levy boost of 5.48 percent.

Turnout was down from the vote in May, when the original budget with a 6.68 percent spending increase was rejected, 838-772.

"I'm surprised it didn't pass the first time," said Moses Saxon, 78, a retired city subway worker whose children went to district schools. "It's not that much of an increase, and you'd think people would want to pass it for the kids."

In Wyandanch, voters approved a $55 million budget, by a margin of 150-134, that lowered spending by 0.2 percent but raised taxes by 3.24 percent, after warnings that all sports might be eliminated next year if the proposal was rejected.

"Wyandanch has its ups and downs," said Bernice Harris, the mother of a 15-year-old student. She voted "yes." "But they're doing the best they can."

But one longtime resident, Margo Nelson, said she thought school administrators should take pay freezes before the district cut any student services.

"I don't think they get enough for a dollar, and I think the kids are always put at the bottom," Nelson said.

In Port Jefferson, a pared-down budget passed, 845-511. The district cut the original budget, going from a 1.53 percent spending increase and a 3.47 percent tax levy, to a 0.54 percent spending increase and a 2.19 tax levy.

Some outside the polling place at the high school said the district listened to residents' concerns at meetings after the budget failed in May.

Maryann Spence voted "no" the first time, but said "yes" now because of the revised spending.

"There's still room for improvement, but I think they are headed in the right direction," she said. Her daughter Nicole, a 2007 graduate, also voted "yes."

But Marilyn Pratt voted against the budget, saying she was "still not happy with the high salaries of administrators."

Amy Goldstein, 45, voted for the budget "because you should," she said.

Marie Castellano, who voted "yes" both times, said, "I support the school system. I think they do an excellent job."

In West Hempstead, voters approved by a margin of 1,773-698 a $52.8-million budget, a 0.54 percent increase that raised the tax levy by 4.91 percent.

Joe Koller, 69, said he voted yes Tuesday after opposing the first budget. "It's the lesser of two evils," Koller said. "This is less of an increase. It's better than pure austerity."

Students had lined Nassau Boulevard Tuesday, chanting and waving signs in support of the proposal. Several cars parked in the middle school's lot displayed yellow "Vote Yes" signs in their windows.

Advocates of the second budget noted the alternative contingency budget would raise the tax levy even more, by 6.2 percent.

Edward McCartney, 80, dismissed that argument. "That's a joke," said McCartney, who voted "no." "The taxes in West Hempstead go up every year anyway. They take it for granted. They're not doing anything about the situation everyone is in related to money."

Rob Ewart, 62, said he thought teachers should give up more raises or pay more for health insurance.

"I don't want to hurt these schools," said Ewart, who also voted "no." "My children went to these schools. But these expenses are too much. Let them foot the bill, too."

In Garden City, voters passed, 3,241-1,991, a $97.9 million budget that increases spending by 2.91 percent and raises the tax levy by 4.17 percent. The budget cuts of 6.2 teachers and three other positions.

Residents turned down a proposal last month with a spending increase of 3.21 percent.

In West Babylon, voters passed, 1,746-1,035, a $93.1-million budget that raises the tax levy 4.63 percent after rejecting a $94.2-million proposal last month that boosted the tax levy by more than 7 percent.

"There was a lot of confusion about the increase," Jim Prunzion, a bus driver with a child in the school district, said Tuesday after he voted. "People have been saying it's a lot more than it actually is. The lack of knowledge definitely contributed to it not passing the first time."

Angela Halverson, a West Babylon mother of two, said she didn't vote the first time but turned out last night because she heard that the Girl Scouts would be charged for using a cafeteria for meetings.

"I have two Girl Scouts - I definitely don't want that to happen," she said.

Anne Ott, 80, said many in the district can't afford any tax increase.

"There are a lot of low-income families in this district," she said.

In East Rockaway, voters passed, 990-548, a budget with a 1.84 percent spending increase. The district's teachers will pay slightly higher health insurance premiums under the new budget, after the first failed by 28 votes.

"I'd say the teachers are moving forward and they're doing the best they can," said Lois Miller, a district resident for 50 years. "It seemed to be reasonable this time."

But Dominick Monti, 82, said the district hadn't done enough and voted "no."

"The schoolteachers have been given continuous raises, outrageous raises, throughout the time that I've lived here," Monti said.

He added that he was also angered by mailings warning of severe cuts. "I don't like scare tactics," he said.

In Elwood, a $51.1 million budget passed 1,970-985, including a spending hike of 4.29 percent and a tax levy boost of 4.94 percent. The budget cuts 6.6 jobs, mostly instructional, in addition to five eliminated in the original budget proposal, along with summer programs.

Last month, Elwood voters rejected a $51.9 million proposal.

In Herricks, where the original $97.3-million budget lost by one vote last month, the new $96.5 million budget was passed, 3,028-1,946. It raises spending by 2.91 percent and the tax levy by 3.8 percent.

Some supporters predicted that a turnout by college students recently returned home for the summer may have helped pass the revised version.

"They scheduled the [first] vote at a time that many college students were away," said Eve Morrow, the mother of two district graduates. "People don't understand that the value of their house will go down if the budget doesn't pass."

But another resident, Gerald Sauvign, 75, a retired engineer, was opposed. "People are fed up, taxes are too high," he said. "You could send a kid to a great private school for the same amount."

Some districts warned of severe consequences if voters said "no" a second time, forcing them to adopt so-called austerity, or contingency, budgets.

In Albany, state lawmakers are 76 days late in approving school aid that would normally account for about 30 percent of local districts' revenue. Most districts holding revotes are projecting relatively high tax increases to compensate for anticipated losses of state money.

Many taxpayers say school employees should share the pain by forgoing raises. Among them is Jessie Casta of West Babylon, who says her husband's job loss last year is making it difficult for the couple to pay their $9,000 tax bill. That district's newly passed $93.1 million budget raises spending 0.87 percent and taxes 4.63 percent.

"If the teachers would take a pay cut for one year - just one year - maybe that would help," she said.