Budget and Capital Propositions Pass;
Dwyer and Fehrs Win BOE Races
After a lengthy budget process and vigorous campaign for two open seats on the Huntington School Board, the votes have finally been counted. Huntington School District residents overwhelmingly approved the proposed budget and capital reserve fund propositions and elected Bill Dwyer and Bari Fehrs as trustees during 15 hours of voting at Huntington High School on Tuesday.
The $114,707,235 spending plan for the 2013/14 school year passed, 1,741-608. A proposition seeking release of $1,715,500 from the existing Building Improvement Fund for various renovation and repair projects also sailed through, 1,804-497. A second capital reserve proposition authorizing creation of a new Building Improvement Fund easily passed, 1,722-518.
In the race for two seats on the Huntington School Board, voters elected Bari Fehrs (1,387) and Bill Dwyer (1,024) to three year terms. Deniqua Crichlow (1,013) and Jennifer Mosden (907) trailed in the balloting. The race between Mr. Dwyer and Ms. Crichlow was not settled until the results from the 59 absentee ballots cast were posted on a large screen in the high school lobby.
A total of 2,455 residents cast ballots in the election, substantially below last year's turnout of 3,018. There are more than 23,000 residents registered to vote in the district.
"During a time that has come to be defined by fiscal challenge, the support of our residents will allow us to address the educational needs of our students as well as the concerns of our taxpayers," Huntington Superintendent James W. Polansky said. "In addition, passage of the capital propositions will permit us to make the needed upgrades and improvements to building infrastructures with no impact on the tax levy or rate."
The budget approved by voters carries an estimated tax rate increase of 3.52 percent. The average home in the district assessed at $4,000 is projected to see a tax increase of $273.75 before STAR program savings are factored in. However, with the district's total assessed property values running much higher than budgeted, school officials are hopeful the actual tax rate will be set much lower than estimated when trustees take final action in the early fall.
The vote culminated a budget process that saw the district seek to keep a lid on expenditures. Spending will rise 2.55 percent from the current year, due mainly to increases in state retirement system and health insurance costs.
The state's continuing fiscal crisis has resulted in a net state aid reduction of more than $6 million in the Huntington School District over the past three years. The loss of such a significant amount of aid, coupled with the state's property tax cap, has forced district officials to trim expenditures wherever possible.
Mr. Dwyer and Mrs. Fehrs won election following a spirited campaign that saw the candidates participate in two public forums. The terms of the new trustees commence on July 1 and run through June 30, 2016. Incumbents Richard McGrath and John P. Paci III did not seek re-election.
Mr. Dwyer, who earlier served for three years as president of the Huntington School Board, and his wife Karen have resided in Huntington for 16 years. The couple has two boys attending Huntington High School. A third son graduated last June is now at Syracuse University.
Employed as an account executive for a Hauppauge company that advises school districts on educational technology, Mr. Dwyer has a deep understanding of public education in New York, including mandated changes in the education program, budgeting and the use of technology to improve education.
Mr. Dwyer's recent focus has included consulting with districts to make a smooth transition to the Common Core standards and building cutting edge tools to analyze student performance data. He is interested in using these skills and his energy and enthusiasm to make a positive impact on the school board.
Mrs. Fehrs, a 22-year resident of Huntington, earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at New York Institute of Technology. She has been involved in the district for more than 10 years and served as president of the Southdown Primary School and J. Taylor Finley Middle School PTAs.
The new trustee has been attending school board meetings for the past nine years and is currently in her third year as PTA Council president. Mrs. Fehrs has been a member of the district's Comprehensive Health Advisory Committee, District Shared Decision Making Committee and District Safety Committee and volunteers with the Booster Club. She has traveled to Albany to fight for Huntington's fair share of state aid. Mrs. Fehrs and her husband have three children currently attending district schools.