See who’s running for the Board of Education in 2022

Three candidates will face off for two seats on the Riverhead Board of Education this year, according to petitions filed with the district clerk Monday.

Current president Laurie Downs is seeking a third term on the Board of Education and incumbent vice president Matthew Wallace is seeking a second term.

They will be challenged by Riverhead resident Andrew Nadeau.

In 2019, Ms. Downs was elected to a second term of office and was the top vote-getter among four candidates. Mr. Wallace came in second place with 1,148 votes in 2019.

The Board of Education last week adopted a $169.7 million budget for the 2022-2023 school year, which will raise the tax levy by 1%.

The budget includes the implementation of a nine-period school day at the middle and high schools, eight additional classrooms at the high school that would be housed in the current Pupil Personnel Services portables and the hiring of a STEM director who would help implement ‘maker spaces’ in all seven school buildings. It would also allow the district to continue working on social-emotional learning programs and restorative practices in school, according to superintendent Augustine Tornatore.

SHOREHAM WADING-RIVER

Incumbents Thomas Sheridan and Meghan Tepfenhardt are both seeking reelection in an uncontested race this year.

Voters in Shoreham-Wading River will be presented with an $83 million spending plan at the polls on May 17. The proposed budget will not pierce the tax cap as the tax levy is set at 1.70%.

The budget represents a 2.87% increase compared to the current 2021-22 budget. The increase is slightly lower than originally projected during earlier budget presentations due to the decrease in state aid. The district originally proposed an $83.07 million budget.

Both Riverhead and Shoreham-Wading River had to make last-minute modifications to their budget proposals after New York State adopted its $221 billion budget late last week — nine days after the April 1 deadline. Each district will receive less state aid than anticipated, but the changers are minor and do not impact student programming, officials said.

School board elections and budget votes are scheduled for Tuesday, May 17.