A Herald endorsement

Lynbrook School District spending plan deserves approval

Support Belmont, Hanson for school board

Posted

The Lynbrook School District has crafted a budget that comes in under the state’s cap on revenue raised through property taxes, which, this year, based on a complex formula, is .24 percent.
Kept in check in part by a decline in teachers’ and employees’ retirement system expenditures, as well as through the use of reserve funds and cooperative labor negotiations, the proposed spending plan, totaling $80.9 million, is 1.9 percent larger than the current budget. It would cost the average Lynbrook homeowner an additional $75 annually.

The budget is Proposition 1, and residents will also vote on two other propositions. Proposition 2 would authorize the use of $450,000 from the Technology Replacement Fund to replace projectors, instructional technology devices, firewalls and remote access servers and to upgrade phone systems. Proposition 3 would appropriate $1.88 million from the Renovation and

Improvement of Facilities Reserve Fund for the replacement of boilers at North and South middle schools, the continuation of ceiling and lighting replacement at the high school, the renovation of a North boys’ bathroom, the resurfacing of the school’s parking lot and the replacement of the South gym floor.
Propositions 2 and 3 will not impact taxes, since the funds already exist in the district’s reserves. We urge voters to approve all three proposals.


Support Belmont, Hanson for school board

Three newcomers are challenging incumbent Board of Education Trustees Bill Belmont and Heather Hanson.
Belmont, who currently serving as president, has nine years experience on the board. He is known for being vocal and unscripted, and has kept open the door between the schools and the community — something that is sorely needed in the district right now. From his work on the board to coaching to his involvement with the PTA, he is a very visible and approachable trustee.
Hanson is seeking a second term on the board. She was active during her first term, and seeks to continue that good work. Her finesse with contract negotiation and her outgoing nature have quickly made her a popular board member among both faculty and parents.
Challengers Renee Gaughran, Janessa Harvin and Michael Moreo all seem to have the right intentions and a desire to be part of the process. Gaughran, who has run for a seat on the board before, seems to be most knowledgeable and prepared about the goings-on in the district. She is a formidable opponent for Belmont and Hanson, but we enthusiastically endorse the incumbents.

Polls will be open in Lynbrook from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.