Vote 'yes' on Lynbrook, East Rockaway school budgets; support Board of Ed. candidates

Endorsing the proposed 2017-18 Lynbrook School District budget is an easy call.

If passed by voters, the spending plan would raise expenditures by about $1.62 million, from $80.86 million to $82.48 million — a 2 percent increase.

The district continues to thrive, with U.S. News & World Report ranking it No. 88 in the top 100 school districts in New York state in April. Its proposed budget includes many features to improve student learning, including the growth of the district’s One-to-World initiative, for which ninth- and 10th-graders would be given tablets in September that they would keep for the entire school year. The devices would help students individualize their learning experience, collaborate with peers and communicate with their teachers.

Among the other curriculum enhancements within the tentative budget are:

The addition of a foreign language after-school program for third-graders.

The addition of a business teacher at the high school.

Additional high school chorus sections to support growing interest.

The addition of college-level, computer-driven engineering courses at the high school.

A new bus to help homeless students get to school.

In Lynbrook, voting will take place at North and South middle schools and Lynbrook High School, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.

For trustee, Bresnihan, Marcus

Both Lynbrook school board candidates are unopposed incumbents. Still, we encourage residents to show them that their hard work is noticed by voting for them. Alicemarie Bresnihan has served on the board for 42 years, and her desire to continue as a trustee shows that her commitment to the schools has not wavered over the years. Ellen Marcus, meanwhile, has been a trustee for nine years, and now serves as board vice president. Both candidates have devoted untold unpaid hours to ensuring that students get the most out of their education.

Approve East Rockaway's spending plan

In East Rockaway, district officials have proposed a roughly $38.2 million budget. If passed by voters, it would actually reduce expenditures by about $162,000. The drop in spending is largely the result of the district’s paying off debts this year, which means more money for science, music, art and technology programs, officials said.

The proposed 2017-18 tax levy increase is a mere 0.27 percent. The levy is the total amount that a district must collect in taxes to meet expenses. With such a low levy, we can only say, bravo! Excellent work, East Rockaway!

As recently as 2014, the state comptroller’s office listed the East Rockaway district among the school systems that were experiencing “moderate fiscal stress.” Much of that stress was caused by Hurricane Sandy, which decimated the community in 2012. Residents have been recovering ever since.

By 2015, thanks to sound budget practices, East Rockaway was no longer on the fiscal-stress list, and it has stayed off it ever since.

School officials say the district now relies less on its emergency reserves to fill budget gaps. For the 2016-17 school year, about a million dollars came from the district’s reserve fund. In 2017-18, East Rockaway will use a little less than $639,000.

We urge East Rockaway voters to cast their ballots for the school district budget. Voting will take place from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. at the Junior-Senior High School.

Vote for Gamache, Schloth

Both candidates for the East Rockaway Board of Education are running unopposed. Keith Gamache, a trustee for three years, said he has several goals going forward, including improving the fields at the high school, upgrading security and updating classrooms. Neil Schloth, meanwhile, will begin his ninth year as a trustee, and said he intends to dedicate his time to advocating for an increase in foundation aid, funding that the state designates to ensure that each student receives at least a “sound, basic education.”