North Shore School District budget passes; Commander and Galati are elected

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North Shore High School’s gymnasium was filled with residents on Tuesday, all there to cast votes for two Board of Education trustees and the 2017-18 school budget. District officials said that nearly 300 more people came out to vote this year than last.

The gym grew quiet after the polls closed at 10 p.m. and North Shore School District Secretary Betty Campi counted the electronic votes and write-ins. The budget passed, incumbent Trustee Joanna Commander was re-elected and newcomer Richard Galati was elected over Cheryl Brown.

Galati, a former high school science teacher at North Shore, led all the candidates in votes, with 1,406. He admitted that it was a bit nerve-wracking to wait for the results, but said he was happy and excited about working with the school district once more. “I’ve been here for more than half my life, so my heart and soul will always be here,” he said. “I have to say that through the overall process, it was amazing to see so many people come out to support me.”

Commander, who was first elected to the board in 2014, said she was honored to be re-elected. She helped form the North Shore Coalition Against Substance Abuse just a few weeks before the election, and was looking forward to continuing her service to the district’s children.

“That’s what I’m in it for,” she said. “I’m very touched that people supported me in that way. Now that the election is out of the way, we can really move forward with CASA.”

Challenger Cheryl Brown received 1,021 votes, a respectable total for a first-time candidate. She thanked several residents for coming out to vote.

Former board President Amy Beyer said she hoped to see Brown continue her involvement in the school district, and looked forward to seeing what Galati can do for the community. “I’m grateful to anyone who is willing to put themselves out there,” Beyer said. “Both Joanna and Richard have devoted a lot of their time to North Shore.”

The budget of nearly $102 million saw strong support from the community. Voters also approved Proposition 2, Transportation Distance Limits, with 1,744 “yes” votes.

“This really indicates that the school board did an excellent job based on the community support,” Beyer said.

Board President Toni Labbate added that the results said a great deal about the efforts of the community on all levels. “I think the community is incredibly supportive of our schools, our kids, and it was great to see such a huge turnout,” she said. “We’re doing great work from K through 12, and it really shows in the kids and in the numbers that came out.”