New Hyde Park-Garden City Park 2011-12 Budget Passes

Voters passed a $33,527,125 spending budget on Tuesday for the 2011-12 school year in the school district.

With a final tally of 1,163 to 796 in favor, homeowners within the New Hyde Park-Garden City Park district will notice a 2.97 percent budget-to-budget increase. This is the lowest year over year increase in the last decade. worth of reductions were made to arrive at this budget, Superintendent Robert Katulak said.

"It feels good that the people realize that we put in place a budget that was respectable," Katulak said after the budget totals were announced.

Voters also gave and another term on the board and elected to Annette Giarratani's vacated seat. Miranda was previously on the board from 2004-07. Cooper received 989 votes, Rudd had 1,129 and Miranda 1,084.

"I am very grateful for the community supporting me in this election and to all my friends for their unending support and helping me to obtain a seat on the board once again," Miranda said. "I look forward to working with all the board members and the district in assisting the school district and the community in maintaining a high level of academic achievement."

Miranda noted that his first board meeting is May 23.

Each of these candidates ran unopposed, but there was a write-in candidate: Lisa Friel. She received a total of 38 votes for school board, 34 of which were as a candidate for Giarratani's vacated spot. Friel also had 35 votes as a trustee. Friel is the president of the NHP-GCP Interschool Council of PTAs.

Friel was pleased that the New Hyde Park-Garden City Park budget passed and noted that she had been thinking about becoming part of the board when her daughter, a sixth grader, was out of the elementary school. Friel wanted to put in paperwork to be a candidate on the ballot but did so two days past the deadline. After she found out she could be a write-in candidate, Friel decided that Giarratani's vacated spot might be a good way to "test the waters."

"I'm not discouraged at all," Friel said, adding that she was pleased to get the number of votes that she got and that she will perhaps she run again in the future. "I think Frank will make a great trustee. He's a very nice man and he's previously served on the board."

Voting took place in the school from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.