All six school districts within the Town of Smithtown held their board of election, budget, and ballot proposition votes on Tuesday night.
Control of the Board of Education for the Smithtown Central School District were in play, as union-backed candidates challenged two non-union-affiliated incumbents Stacy Ann Murphy and Karen Wontrobski-Ricciardi, with the former being selected by the board in 2023 to serve as President, and the latter as Vice President.
Dana Fritch and Emily Cianci are projected to win the two seats that were up for re-election. Fritch defeated Murphy with 3,614 votes to 2,664 votes – about 57% to 43%. Cianci defeated Wontrobski-Ricciardi with 3,605 votes to 2,669 votes – 57% to 43%.
“We want to thank everyone in the community who supported us. We are looking forward to collaborating with all stakeholders to make the best decisions for our children in Smithtown,” Fritch and Cianci told The Messenger.
“We are grateful for the past three years and our ability to have served the community, students, and taxpayers,” Murphy and Wontrobski-Ricciardi told The Messenger. “We encourage everyone to stay involved and to be an active voice in how your taxpayer dollars are spent and how your children are educated.”
The proposed budget of $289,952,988 passed easily, with 4,569 votes approving and 1,722 against – 72% – 28%. The budget sees a 2.86% tax levy increase.
Ballot Proposition 2 also passed easily, 4,363 to 1,835 – 70%-30%. The measure will allow the District to expend capital reserves for track and field lights and boiler repairs.
The Smithtown Central School District serves the communities of Village of the Branch, Nissequogue, most of Smithtown hamlet, St. James, Head of the Harbor, and Nesconset, as well as parts of Hauppauge.
Commack Union Free School District
The $227,094,961 budget passed easily, 1701 to 400. Dana Schultz defeated incumbent Trustee Gus Heuber 1047 to 997 – 51%-49%.
The district serves most of Commack and parts of Hauppauge.
Hauppauge Union Free School District
The $133,216,224 budget was approved 584 to 278. It carries a 3.38% tax levy increase.
Catherine Collins and Brian Michels both won uncontested races for two open seats.
The district serves most of Hauppauge and parts of Commack.
Kings Park Central School District
The $106,790,956 budget was approved 1,046 to 533. Incumbent Trustee Kevin Johnston was re-elected and James Lovastik won the open seat vacated by Diane Nally. Both ran unopposed. Joseph Gallo won 569 write-in votes.
Proposition 2 passed 1,024 to 531. The capital expenditures project will go to transportation facility remediation.
The district also ran a student vote that polled them on certain questions. 181 students participated. 78% of students agreed that regular or on-time attendance at school is important for academic success. 50% said that bullying is rarely or never a problem at school. 56% said teachers usually strike a good balance when it comes to assigning homework. 82% said they rarely or never use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to complete school assignments on a weekly basis.
The district serves most of Kings Park, San Remo, the eastern half of Fort Salonga, and small portions of Smithtown hamlet and Commack.
Sachem Central School District
The $377,326,912 budget failed with 4,176 votes for the budget and 4,127 votes against the budget. The budget would have accrued a heavy 4.87% tax levy increase that pierces the tax cap. Since it would have pierced the cap, the budget required 60% support in order to pass.A capital expenditures project for softball field construction passed 4,230 to 3,938. Michael Isernia, Vincent Renyolds, and Sabrina Pitkewicz were all won Trustee positions unopposed.Sachem is one of just two school districts on Long Island who saw their budgets fail, the other being West Babylon. Four districts passed budgets that pierced their tax caps: Amagansett, East Hampton, Port Washington, and Springs.
A secondary budget is slated to be put in front of voters on June 18. That budget would remain at the tax cap at 1.92%, but would come with significant drawbacks to services and programs.
Within Smithtown, the district serves parts of Lake Ronkonkoma and Nesconset.
Three Village Central School District
The $236,162,955 budget passed 2,140 to 1,140. President Susan Rosenzweig and Trustee Shaorui Li were re-elected to the Board of Education. Dr. Stanley Bak won a special election to serve the remaining one year of a three-year term. He defeated Amitava Das by just five votes: 1,688 to 1,683.
Within Smithown, the district serves parts of Head of the Harbor and St. James.
