Most East End School Budgets Pass

Of the nearly two dozen school districts on the East End, the Bridgehampton School District was the only one in which voters rejected a proposed budget during local elections held across Long Island on May 18.

Since the school board sought a nearly 9% spending increase to its $20.6 million budget—well above the 2% property tax cap—New York State law requires that at least 60% of voters approve the measure. But the district fell just short, garnering 59.28% of the vote, with 150 voting in favor and 103 opposed.

Bridgehampton is one of just four districts out of 124 across Nassau and Suffolk counties that saw their spending packages fail at the polls. The other three were Wantagh, Three Village, and Northport-East Northport.

The largest budget increase for the region was the Riverhead School District at 10%. The Oysterponds School District was the only one that saw its budget decrease. 

In addition to the budgets, nearly half of the districts in the Hamptons and on the North Fork had propositions on the ballots seeking approval for capital expenditures—construction projects that go beyond the daily operation of the schools. All of them passed.

Voters approved the Amagansett Union Free School District’s request to spend $150,000 to upgrade a basketball court and to create a new $2 million capital reserve fund dedicated to energy and technology upgrades.

Other propositions that voters approved were the East Quogue School District’s plan to spend up to $300,000 to replace an underground fuel oil tank, the Hampton Bays School District’s spending $3.5 million to replace its elementary school roof, Shoreham-Wading River School District’s $7.5 million in capital spending on building renovations, the Southampton School District’s spending $3.4 million on renovations and security upgrades, the Sag Harbor School District’s $15 million worth of district-wide renovations, and the Springs School District’s spending $1.1 million on a roof replacement.

In addition, Montauk School District voters approved a proposition to reduce from 50 miles to 25 miles the limit for transportation provided to private school students who live in the district. 

SIDEBAR: School Budget Vote Results

Amagansett Union Free School District: $11.9 million budget with 4.7% increase passed 75-15

Bridgehampton School District: $20.6 million budget with 8.8% increase failed 150-103

East Hampton School District: $75.1 million budget with 4.4% increase passed 212-28

East Quogue School District: $26.9 million budget with 2.4% increase passed 367-66

Greenport School District: 20.4 million budget with 1.75% increase passed 369-115

Hampton Bays School District: $57.3 million budget with 3.8% increase passed 711-114

Mattituck-Cutchogue School District: $42.2 million budget with 1.9% increase passed 715-200

Montauk School District: $20.5 million budget with 1.3% increase passed 109-9
New Suffolk Common School District: $1 million budget with 1% increase passed 1,043-398

Oysterponds School District: $5.6 million budget with 2.7% decrease passed 131-9

Quogue School District: $9.4 million budget with 2.3% increase passed 145-22

Remsenburg-Speonk School District: $15.2 million budget with 2.9% increase passed 148-30

Riverhead School District: $159.4 million budget with 10% increase passed 2,237-886

Sag Harbor School District: $44.8 million budget with 1.2% increase passed 344-142

Sagaponack Common School District: $1.7 million budget with 1.6% increase passed 23-2

Shelter Island School District: $12.3 million budget with 1.93% increase passed 204-96

Shoreham-Wading River School District: $80.6 million budget with 4.5% increase passed 669-215

Southampton School District: $73.9 million budget with 1.5% increase passed 408-167

Southold School District: $31.6 million budget with 1.9% increase passed 333-78

Springs School District: $30.8 million budget with 2.5% increase passed 199-67

Tuckahoe Common School District: $23.1 million budget with 4.3% increase 115-55

Wainscott Common School District: $3.8 million budget with 3.3% increase passed 41-2

Westhampton Beach School District: $60.1 million budget with 1.9% increase passed 199-43