Voters approve East Rockaway School District's $38.2 million 2017-18 budget

The East Rockaway School District's $38.2 million budget proposal for the 2017-18 school year was approved by voters on Tuesday night.

The budget received 483 "yes" votes and 155 "no" votes. Proposition 2, a plan for a $295.5 million building improvement reserve, was approved 500 to 105. Proposition 3, a $485.8 million capital reserve plan for technology, passed 507 to 119.

"The district has once again developed a fiscally responsible budget that conforms to the New York state tax levy cap law," said Lisa Ruiz, superintendent of the district. "We are pleased that with the passage of our budget, we can continue to provide high quality, innovative, learning opportunities for our students and enhance our current instructional programs. ... On behalf of the Board of Education, I would like to extend our appreciation to the entire East Rockaway community for its continued support."

The 2017-18 school budget will 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.

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 also 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.

Voters also showed support for Board of Education Vice President Keith Gamache and Trustee Neil Schloth, who both ran unopposed. Gamache garnered 476 votes, while Schloth had 471. They will each serve three more years on the board under the new term.

Gamache, a trustee for three years, said leading up to the election that he has several goals going forward, including improving the fields at the high school, upgrading security and updating classrooms. 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.”