LI school districts go 10 for 10 in budget revotes

With scores of teachers' jobs and student services on the line, voters passed slimmed-down budgets in all 10 districts holding revotes Tuesday in turnout that was often heavy.

Spending plans were approved in East Rockaway, Elwood, Garden City, Herricks, Levittown, Port Jefferson, West Babylon, West Hempstead, Westbury and Wyandanch.

Though relieved by results, veteran school administrators Tuesday night observed that next year also promises to be challenging financially with dwindling aid available to schools from state and federal sources.

"We've got two or three more tough years ahead of us," said Jack Bierwirth, the superintendent in Herricks, which passed its budget, 3,028-1,946. "But in the end people didn't want to see the level of cuts that would have been required if they'd gone to contingency budgets."

Bierwirth called yesterday's vote in his district the heaviest in 30 years. Herricks' $96.5-million spending plan will raise the tax levy 3.8 percent, compared to 4.83 percent in the original budget.

In Port Jefferson, which after last month's budget defeat eliminated a controversial program of distributing laptop computers for students' home use, voters passed a revamped budget, 845 to 511. The $37.3-million spending plan raises next year's tax levy 2.19 percent, compared to a 3.47 percent increase in the original budget.

"I'm very gratified that the community pulled together," said school board Trustee Mark Doyle, who added that the district would start budget planning earlier next year to allow ample community input. "You never really want to take anything for granted."

Fearing the alternative

Some districts warned before Tuesday's vote of severe consequences if residents said "no" a second time, forcing them to adopt so-called austerity or contingency budgets.

West Hempstead and Wyandanch had announced that kindergarten classes could be reduced from full-day to half-day sessions. Levittown said it also could be forced to shorten kindergarten classes and lay off more than 50 teachers and other staff on top of 14 jobs already eliminated.

Wyandanch narrowly passed its trimmed $55-million budget, 150 to 134. The budget cuts 15 teaching jobs and reduces spending slightly, while raising taxes 3.24 percent.

But the budget also adds 15 teaching aides the district says are needed to help special-education students moved back to local schools from a regional BOCES center. Many voters Tuesday supported the move.

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

Among Levittown residents who voted "yes" Tuesday with family considerations in mind was Luis Lugo, who works for a software company.

"Our child is enrolled now, so we think this is important," said Lugo. His 5-year-old son, who accompanied his parents to a polling site on Abbey Lane Tuesday, will attend kindergarten next year.

Levittown's $192.8-million budget, which passed 4,399 to 3,288, raises spending 5.74 percent, and the tax levy 2.63 percent.

In West Hempstead, students lined Nassau Boulevard early Tuesday, chanting and waving signs in support of the proposed $52.8-million budget. Several cars parked in the middle school's lot displayed yellow "Vote Yes" signs in their windows.

Joe Koller, 69, said he voted "yes" after opposing the first budget. "It's the lesser of two evils," Koller said.

West Hempstead's $52.8-million budget passed, 1,773 to 698. It raises spending 0.54 percent, and taxes 4.91 percent.

Albany mess doesn't help

In Albany, state lawmakers are 77 days late in approving school aid that would account for an average of 30 percent of local districts' revenue, although the range is wide. Most districts holding revotes were projecting relatively high tax increases to compensate for anticipated losses of state money.

For example, West Babylon's $93.1-million budget, which passed 1,746 to 1,035, raises spending only 0.87 percent, but boosts taxes 4.63 percent.

With Rachel Bryson-Brockmann and Nomaan Merchant