School Budget Passage Rate Highest in More Than 12 Years

Garden City school district officials would like to thank the community for supporting its 2013-2014 budget.

A total of 2,196 residents headed to the polls May 21. The $107,602,366 million spending plan, which is $3,386,838 more than the 2012-2013 budget, overwhelmingly passed by a vote of 1,436 to 760.

The 65.4 percent passage rate represented the highest achieved in more than a dozen years, according to district officials.

"The community’s support enables the school district to continue to deliver the outstanding level of education for which the district is well known," officials said in a district press release.

Last May, nearly 3,000 residents voted on the $104,215,528 million budget; 63.6 percent (1,820) of the vote was in favor of the proposed spending plan. A total of 1,044 residents voted against it. 

In May 2011, Garden City residents supported the school district’s $101,117,058 million budget by a vote of 1,820 to 1,081. This spending plan carried a 2.58 percent tax levy increase.

In May 2010, residents rejected the district's proposed $98,275,256 million spending plan by a vote of 1,662 to 1,459. The budget called for a projected tax levy increase of 4.52 percent. A total of 3,121 residents turned out for that vote.

Residents, however, approved the revised $97,988,490 million budget by 62 percent of the vote. A total of 5,232 residents voted on the revised spending plan (3,241 yes to 1,991 no). Garden City was one of 10 Long Island school districts whose budget failed that year.

Officials also congratulate board vice president Barbara Trapasso and former board trustee Laura Hastings on their election to the Board of Education. District officials also extend gratitude to retiring board president Colleen Foley "for her years of leadership and dedicated service to the children of Garden City Public Schools."

"Mrs. Foley has selflessly served the school district through some of the most challenging times for public school systems in the state and the nation," the press release read. "She has led through the one of the most comprehensive bond projects in the school district’s history, adding state-of-the-art additions at Homestead, the middle school, and the high school. The new construction, along hundreds of building upgrades, stand as a tribute to her leadership. Thank you, Mrs. Foley!"

The board will hold a work session Tuesday, June 4, at 8:15 p.m. at Garden City High School and a regular session Tuesday, June 11, at 8:15 p.m. at Garden City Middle School.