Schools

School Officials Thank Community For Support

School officials say the passage of their respective budgets will help maintain quality education.

School officials from Hampton Bays, East Quogue and Westhampton Beach are all thanking the community for. 

"We are very appreciative of the community's support once again," said Robert Long, principal of the East Quogue Elementary School District, whose voters approved the district's $22.4 million budget in a 432 to 155 vote. 

"This budget will allow us to maintain a quality instructional program while simultaneously being sensitive to the needs of our tax payers," he said.

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And Les Black, superintendent of the East Quogue School District, said, "Apparently didn't have an impact. The results were outstanding."

With a 945 to 393 vote in support of the Hampton Bays School District's $45.8 million budget, Hampton Bays Superintendent Lars Clemensen said, "Last night's budget vote was an affirmation by the community of their confidence in the forward motion the Hampton Bays School District is making, even in these toughest of economic times."

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He added, "The Board of Education, leadership, faculty, and staff take that confidence very seriously and will work very hard to maintain that trust and our current progress.  We are grateful to all who came out and supported the budget for 2012-13."

In Westhampton Beach where 60 percent of the vote was needed for the district's $51.8 million budet to pass because the budget breached the tax cap by .89 percent, Superintendent Mike Radday, said, "We are very pleased with the result of the budget vote and appreciative of the support from our voters. The tax cap and the current fiscal climate presented unprecedented challenges this year."

The Westhampton Beach School District budget passed with 63 percent taxpayers approving the budget in a 521 to 300 vote.

"The supermajority approval is indicative of the high value the community places on the education of its children," said Radday. "We feel very fortunate for the support we have and will continue to provide a world-class education for our students in a fiscally responsible manner."

Also passing on Tuesday was the Quogue School District budget. Voters approved that $7.68 million budget in a 85 to 15 vote. 


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