Education

Voters approve school budgets, select board members

By Riverhead News-Review

Members of Riverhead Central School District’s administration and Board of Education celebrating the news that voters passed the district’s $191.9 million budget for the next school year on Tuesday night.(Credit: Melissa Azofeifa)

Voters in school districts across the North Fork approved school budgets and selected school board members Tuesday night. Here are the results:

RIVERHEAD

Voters approved the budget of $191,999,210, an increase of 13.1% over the previous budget. The measure passed by a margin of 1,333 to 769.

Four seats were available on the Riverhead Central School District’s Board of Education, with seven candidates competing. Incumbent Virginia Healy won a second term as a board member. She will serve alongside newcomers Erica Murphy, Cynthia Redmond and James Scudder, who will take over the seat vacated by Laurie Downs and begin his term as soon as the vote is certified. The other new board members will be sworn in July 1.

SHOREHAM WADING RIVER

Voters approved a budget of $84,794,360, a $1.7 million, or 2.16% increase from the previous budget. Three incumbents were reelected: Katie Andersen (546 votes); Michael Lewis (563 votes) and Henry Perez (529 votes).

GREENPORT

The Greenport Union Free School District budget of $23,709,875 passed by a vote of 381-129, an increase of 9.63% from the previous budget. Incumbent and board vice president Kirsten Droskoski beat challenger Amanda Clark by a vote of 268-240.

OYSTERPONDS

Oysterponds’ school budget passed by a vote of 117 to 10, and school board vice president Janice Caulfield and board member Jeffrey Demarest were reelected. The library budget passed, 112 to 15.

MATTITUCK-CUTCHOGUE

Mattituck-Cutchogue School District voters approved a budget of $44,016,344, an increase of 2.77% from last year’s budget, by a vote of 550 to 164. Proposition No. 2, which authorized the board to draw $4.3 million from the capital reserve fund for school roof repairs, passed 622 to 97. Patricia Arslanian and Lorraine Warren prevailed in the trustees’ race.

NEW SUFFOLK

New Suffolk voters approved a budget of $1,188,656, an increase of 8.2% from last year, by a 51 to 4 margin. Running uncontested, Brooke Dailey garnered 50 votes.

SOUTHOLD

The Southold Board of Education budget of $33,168,000, carrying a tax levy of 2.94%, passed by a vote of 449-87. Proposition No. 2, which will fund new school boilers, passed by a vote of 492 to 41. The library budget passed by a vote of 442 to 92. Scott Latham, Thomas Grattan Jr. and Brian Tobin won seats on the school board.

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