Local school district budgets overwhelmingly pass with voter support

ISLIP UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT

The Islip School District's $88.7 million budget passed on May 18, with residents casting 796 ‘yes’ votes to 448 ‘no’ votes.
The budget carries a tax levy increase of 2 percent. Although that tax levy increase represents a decrease from last year’s 2.65 percent levy, it’s still above the district’s allowable tax cap of -2.33 percent. As such, the district needed at least 60 percent of voters to approve this override of the tax levy limitation.
For the Board of Education, voters reelected incumbent vice president Tom Leggio with 942 votes, and trustees Paul Austin (873 votes) and Eric Buehler (927 votes). All candidates ran unopposed this year.

EAST ISLIP UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT

The $121 million budget in the East Islip School District passed on May 18 after residents casted 1,617 ‘yes’ votes and 777 ‘no’ votes. The budget is at the allowable tax levy cap, with a tax levy increase of 1.50 percent, the same as the cap.
Voters elected Joann Walsh to Christopher Nicolia’s open seat with 1,405 votes; Walsh was running unopposed after being appointed to this seat last November when Nicolia resigned.
Candidate Charles Kalinowski will take the open seat held by board president Jessica Carney, who did not seek reelection. Kalinowski received 745 votes, while other candidates Michael Dorgan and Laurie Gapinski-Gould got 675 votes and 429 votes, respectively.
For the open seat held by trustee Philip Montuori Sr., who did not run for reelection, Stephen Ruland received 851 votes, Dominick Barbato received 728 votes, Timothy Sassone received 446 votes and Joshua Zusmer received 226 votes.

WEST ISLIP UNION FREE SCHOOL DISTRICT

The West Islip School District’s $127.5 million fiscal budget strongly passed by a margin of 1,234 votes to 521. The proposition to use the district’s capital reserves also passed, with 1,347 ‘yes’ votes and 392 ‘no’ votes.
Current trustee Richard Antoniello will take a seat on the board after receiving 922 votes. The other at-large seat went to Deborah Brown, who received 1,007 votes, while candidate Roy Tarantola received 888 votes.

BAY SHORE PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Bay Shore’s $171 million budget for the 2021-2022 academic year overwhelmingly passed, with 1,154 ‘YES’ votes and 798 ‘NO’ votes.
Board of Education president Susan Gargan was re-elected with 798 votes. Candidate Jennifer Brownyard, a 16-year resident of Bay Shore, will join the board after receiving 853 votes, and candidate Tuere Morton beat out candidate Philip Carpenter Jr. for the remaining seat with her 681 votes.