Voters approve Oceanside budget

The final vote totals for the Oceanside school and library votes. (Rebecca Melnitsky/Herald)

Rebecca Melnitsky/Herald

Voters overwhelmingly approved the Oceanside school district budget for next year.

There were 1,341 votes in favor of the $147.2 million budget for the 16-17 school year, and 444 against. This is an increase of $2.8 million or 1.97 percent over the current year's budget.

The budget has a $117.5 million tax levy, an increase of .43 percent, or less than $500,000.

"I'm very excited for the community," said Superintendent Phyllis Harrington. "I appreciate all the support everyone has given us, and look forward to continuing to educate our children to the very best of our ability."

Board of Education trustees Robert Transom and Michael D'Ambrosio were re-elected to their seventh and second terms, respectively. Transom received 1,198 votes and D'Ambrosio received 1,291 votes. There were 60 write-in votes. The district could not determine whose names were on the write-in votes because the scanning machines could not read them.

The $4.65 million library budget also passed, with 1,385 votes in favor and 388 against. The budget includes an increase of $30,714 more — .7 percent — for a total tax levy of $4.4 million. For the average household this amounts to about $5 more for next year.