Voters Appear to Favor 2012-13 School Budgets in New Hyde Park

Residents casting their ballots in New Hyde Park Tuesday appear to be solidly in favor of the 2012-13 budget, the first to fall under the state’s new tax cap law, but which is hardly being cited by voters as a factor in this year’s elections.

One man at the who did say the cap made a difference in his decision to vote yes said that “I want to support the schools” and “I think hopefully (the cap will) help and if they keep the cap within reason it shouldn’t be too bad.”

The total amount of the , representing an increase of $967,255 in spending or a 2.88 percent hike from 2011-12.

The 2012-13 tax levy – what the District will ask the community to contribute – would be $28,150,071, an increase of $788,224 over 2011-12, or 2.88 percent, which is in keeping with the state-imposed tax levy cap.

Another man, who also declined to be identified, voted yes because of his young children in the district, though conceded that the decision may not be easy for everyone else.

“I can understand reasonably why people would want to vote against it,” he said. “It’s hard when you have kids to vote against something like that and especially when they’re just starting off.”

Another person who voted yes said that the amount the district was asking for “was realistic and education’s important for the little kids. I felt the percentage increase was realistic.”

He indicated that he had voted for for the board of education, “just because you’ve got to have a woman around too, I don’t know her.”

Lewandowski is challenging incumbent for a seat on the board while fellow trustee is running unopposed.

Over at the , turnout was described as being “steady” all day long with the parking lots at the building filled to capacity at 5 p.m.

One man who voted yes on the budget described the decision was “the lesser of the two evils. It was either out of my pocket or iPad out of my taxes.”

Meanwhile a younger man voted no because “I read through the budget and it’s very very high and there were a lot of cuts that were made that I did like.”

Describing the salaries of teachers as “unnecessary” he stated that he disagreed with the amounts “which were a little high and a lot of the cuts they made I also disagreed with but at least they’re making some cuts.”

One senior who has two grandchildren in the district said that “I voted yes for them,” noting that the tax levy cap did not affect his vote either way.

The sentiment was shared by another woman who said that she voted in favor of the budget because “I don’t want them to cut too much from the kids,” conceding on the cap that “of course there’s going to be some problems but they have to do the cut.”

Herricks is cutting about 20 positions in the 2012-13 school budget.