Stewart Manor district cheers staff parking fee defeat

Staff at the Stewart Manor Elementary School plan to resume parking in spaces next to the school beginning Monday, after village officials signaled they will rescind a law charging school staff $50 a month to park there.

At a Tuesday village board meeting, trustees voted 3-2 to hold a public hearing to rescind an August law requiring the fees for the spaces the village owns on Dover Parkway North and next to the school.

In response to that law, the school turned its blacktop playground into a staff parking lot, prompting parents and students to fret about the loss of playground space.

The village, amid criticism, voted in September to postpone enforcement of that law.

"The district is elated by the fact that the teachers and staff members will be allowed to return to the normal parking situation," said Al Harper, Elmont's superintendent, who thanked the board and local officials.

The August law came as the village eyed ways to fill budget holes. Mayor Gerard Tangredi advised exploring "nontaxing revenue."

The parking district the village created through the law consists of 38 spots, according to the school, and meant a $500 annual fee for teachers and staff who work the 10-month school year.

Despite the September postponement, school Principal Hope Kranidis said teachers and staff were still parking in the temporary lot "because there didn't appear to be a firm resolution."

The three trustees who voted for the hearing said they planned to vote to rescind the law when an official hearing and vote are set.

"It's a done deal," said trustee John Egan, who proposed the resolution that set the repeal in motion.