Long Island schools election results: Wide support, little controversy this time
Even in the Amityville school district, beset by budget woes, voters overwhelmingly approved the budget. But longtime board member Jeannette Santos, at left, above, during a March meeting, was ousted from the board. Wendy Canestro, with her back to the camera, won a board seat. At middle is board president Lisa Johnson. Credit: Newsday/Thomas A. Ferrara
Long Islanders' overwhelming approval of school budgets Tuesday marked one of the most unified and least controversial votes here in memory, sending a message that Islanders value their schools and are willing to support them with their wallets, said education experts and officials.
Islanders not only approved virtually every proposed budget for their 124 districts, rejecting only the Sachem and West Babylon spending plans, but did so often by large margins, said Michael Dawidziak, a Bayport political consultant and pollster.
"I think this was probably the most cohesive school budget vote, largely lacking anger and controversy, that I've ever seen on Long Island," said Dawidziak, noting he's followed local voting since the 1970s.
The voting on school board elections and budgets occurred during a time when Gov. Kathy Hochul had threatened to eliminate the "hold harmless" policy, which guarantees no school district can receive less state aid than it did the previous year. The plan was eventually scrapped.
Moreover, Dawidziak said he heard little of the rhetoric critical of teacher salaries, or calling for book bans or discrediting the methods of teaching diversity and equity. If anything, he heard more concern about the scores of teacher layoffs on the Island, the result in some cases of the loss of pandemic aid.
"I think there was a sentiment that we're in this together and we need to take care of ourselves," he said.
Robert Vecchio, executive director of the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association, said he also saw a sense of solidarity among Islanders for their schools. He noted several districts approved their budgets by upward of 70%, "a very high approval percentage."
For example, Amagansett voters approved their school budget 148-43, a 77% endorsement. Commack voters approved theirs, 1,701 to 400, or 81%. And Brentwood voters' approval was 651-183, or 78%.
Once again, the power of the state teachers union showed itself in school board elections. Seventy-one of the 84 candidates endorsed by the New York State United Teachers were victorious, according to the union.
Board elections also seemed less contentious, Vecchio said, with the majority of incumbents getting reelected. A total of 172 incumbents were reelected; 28 lost their seat, according to a Newsday analysis of results.
One area of concern, Vecchio said, was low voter turnout, which he said has been a trend since the state placed a cap in 2012 on tax levies that school systems can raise.
A total of 178,932 Islanders came out to the polls Tuesday, with 125,651, or 70%, voting to approve their budgets, the Newsday analysis said.
Vecchio noted Brentwood, the Island's largest school district with some 18,000 students, saw only 834 people cast votes on the budget.
"The message is that if you stay within the tax cap, a lot of voters will stay home," he said, adding that his group will be brainstorming to find ways to draw more people to the polls.
A total of six districts aimed to pierce the tax cap, which requires a 60% approval by voters. Four succeeded.
The Sachem district, Long Island’s second largest, failed in its attempt to pass a $377.3 million budget. The vote of 4,176 to 4,127 was a bare majority but short of the 60% margin required for an override.
Sachem Superintendent Christopher Pellettieri said the school board would meet in the days ahead to decide on steps for a June 18 revote.
Longtime taxpayer advocate Fred Gorman sent an open letter to the Sachem school board Wednesday saying, "The taxpayers made it clear, spend the taxes we gave you on our children before you reserve for unforeseen rainy days."
In the West Babylon district, a majority of voters approved the budget, but it did not meet the required 60% threshold. School officials said they will regroup to decide their next step.
Even in Amityville, where the school board has been under attack for multimillion-dollar budget deficits, voters approved the budget, 1,051 to 698. Amityville voters, however, showed their discontent by sweeping two incumbents out of office Tuesday, including Jeannette Santos, who had served on the board over some four decades.
In that race, Megan Messmann ousted Santos, Caroline Fanning ousted Juan Leon, and Wendy Canestro won the seat vacated by Terry Fulton last summer.
Canestro said the three winners ran as a group intent on change.
"The voters spoke last night and did not support a failed leadership," Canestro said.
She said the three will focus on demanding more school contracts undergo a bidding process, that the district stop approving expenditures and appointments retroactively, and reining in overspending.
"The voters held the board accountable last night," she said. "We've listened to the community's ideas, and look forward to improving and restoring the Amityville school district."
With Michael Ebert
Long Islanders' overwhelming approval of school budgets Tuesday marked one of the most unified and least controversial votes here in memory, sending a message that Islanders value their schools and are willing to support them with their wallets, said education experts and officials.
Islanders not only approved virtually every proposed budget for their 124 districts, rejecting only the Sachem and West Babylon spending plans, but did so often by large margins, said Michael Dawidziak, a Bayport political consultant and pollster.
"I think this was probably the most cohesive school budget vote, largely lacking anger and controversy, that I've ever seen on Long Island," said Dawidziak, noting he's followed local voting since the 1970s.
The voting on school board elections and budgets occurred during a time when Gov. Kathy Hochul had threatened to eliminate the "hold harmless" policy, which guarantees no school district can receive less state aid than it did the previous year. The plan was eventually scrapped.
WHAT TO KNOW
- Long Islanders' overwhelming approval of school budgets Tuesday marked one of the most unified and least controversial votes here in memory, said local education experts and officials.
- A total of 178,932 Islanders came out to the polls Tuesday, with 125,651, or 70%, voting to approve their budgets, the Newsday analysis said.
- School board elections also appeared less contentious, with the majority of incumbents getting reelected.
Moreover, Dawidziak said he heard little of the rhetoric critical of teacher salaries, or calling for book bans or discrediting the methods of teaching diversity and equity. If anything, he heard more concern about the scores of teacher layoffs on the Island, the result in some cases of the loss of pandemic aid.
"I think there was a sentiment that we're in this together and we need to take care of ourselves," he said.
High approval margins
Robert Vecchio, executive director of the Nassau-Suffolk School Boards Association, said he also saw a sense of solidarity among Islanders for their schools. He noted several districts approved their budgets by upward of 70%, "a very high approval percentage."
For example, Amagansett voters approved their school budget 148-43, a 77% endorsement. Commack voters approved theirs, 1,701 to 400, or 81%. And Brentwood voters' approval was 651-183, or 78%.
Once again, the power of the state teachers union showed itself in school board elections. Seventy-one of the 84 candidates endorsed by the New York State United Teachers were victorious, according to the union.
Board elections also seemed less contentious, Vecchio said, with the majority of incumbents getting reelected. A total of 172 incumbents were reelected; 28 lost their seat, according to a Newsday analysis of results.
One area of concern, Vecchio said, was low voter turnout, which he said has been a trend since the state placed a cap in 2012 on tax levies that school systems can raise.
A total of 178,932 Islanders came out to the polls Tuesday, with 125,651, or 70%, voting to approve their budgets, the Newsday analysis said.
Vecchio noted Brentwood, the Island's largest school district with some 18,000 students, saw only 834 people cast votes on the budget.
"The message is that if you stay within the tax cap, a lot of voters will stay home," he said, adding that his group will be brainstorming to find ways to draw more people to the polls.
A total of six districts aimed to pierce the tax cap, which requires a 60% approval by voters. Four succeeded.
The Sachem district, Long Island’s second largest, failed in its attempt to pass a $377.3 million budget. The vote of 4,176 to 4,127 was a bare majority but short of the 60% margin required for an override.
Sachem Superintendent Christopher Pellettieri said the school board would meet in the days ahead to decide on steps for a June 18 revote.
Longtime taxpayer advocate Fred Gorman sent an open letter to the Sachem school board Wednesday saying, "The taxpayers made it clear, spend the taxes we gave you on our children before you reserve for unforeseen rainy days."
In the West Babylon district, a majority of voters approved the budget, but it did not meet the required 60% threshold. School officials said they will regroup to decide their next step.
Wendy Canestro the day after winning a seat on the Amityville school board. Credit: Rick Kopstein
Amityville board shake-up
Even in Amityville, where the school board has been under attack for multimillion-dollar budget deficits, voters approved the budget, 1,051 to 698. Amityville voters, however, showed their discontent by sweeping two incumbents out of office Tuesday, including Jeannette Santos, who had served on the board over some four decades.
In that race, Megan Messmann ousted Santos, Caroline Fanning ousted Juan Leon, and Wendy Canestro won the seat vacated by Terry Fulton last summer.
Canestro said the three winners ran as a group intent on change.
"The voters spoke last night and did not support a failed leadership," Canestro said.
She said the three will focus on demanding more school contracts undergo a bidding process, that the district stop approving expenditures and appointments retroactively, and reining in overspending.
"The voters held the board accountable last night," she said. "We've listened to the community's ideas, and look forward to improving and restoring the Amityville school district."
With Michael Ebert
Craig Schneider is a Long Island native and Stony Brook University alumnus. He joined Newsday as a general assignment reporter in January 2018 after 20 years at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
