Garden City School Budget Fails

A tough budget season came to an end Tuesday night as more than 3,000 Garden City residents headed to the polls to vote on the school district's proposed 2011-2012 $98,275,256 spending plan, which called for a budget-to-budget increase of 3.21 percent and a projected tax levy increase of 4.52 percent (with STAR).

The budget was shot down by a vote of 1,662 to 1,459, according to school district public information coordinator Catherine Knight.

Residents did overwhelmingly passed Proposition 2 regarding voter registration by a vote 2,000 to 814. The proposition states that "registration of voters is hereby authorized between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. during all regular days of operation at the office of the District Clerk located at the School District Administration Building, 56 Cathedral Avenue, Garden City, N.Y." 

Further, current board of education president Colleen Foley, who ran unopposed this year, received 1,816 votes while Barbara Trapasso, the board's current vice president who also ran uncontested, received 1,794. 

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Robert Feirsen said today in a statement: "While I am disappointed with the budget vote results, I respect and appreciate the views expressed by the community.

"The proposed budget was defeated by 203 votes ... The board of education is currently considering its three available options. It can put up the same budget proposal for a re-vote; go directly to a contingency budget or make adjustments and present a revised budget proposal to the community."

The proposed spending plan, which called for cuts in several areas, including 10 percent of clubs at the middle school and high school, Junior Varsity "B" teams, high school intramurals and the Friday night recreation program at the middle school, sparked much debate since early February.

Board of education members adopted the plan at its April 19 meeting and received hundreds of e-mails, letters and phone calls concerning this year's budget numbers and proposed cuts.

According to Dr. Feirsen, New York State Education Law § 2007 requires that a budget re-vote be held the third Tuesday in June (June 15). If the budget is defeated twice, the board of education must adopt a contingency or "austerity" budget. The contingent budget for Garden City Public Schools would require cutting $2.66 million from the budget presented on May 18, he said.