Bellmore Residents Approve School Budgets

Voters in Bellmore went to the polls Tuesday and approved the school budgets for the Bellmore, North Bellmore and Bellmore-Merrick Central High School school districts.

In the Bellmore School District, the $34.6 million budget is a 2.19 percent increase over the current year's spending plan. Voters approved the budget 523 to 189.

For the North Bellmore School District, voters approved the $55.3 million budget 1,089 to 448. The budget is up from the current $53.7 million spending plan. The tax levy also increased, going from $36.2 million to $37 million.

And in the Bellmore-Merrick Central High School District, the budget was also approved, 3,019 to 1.157. The $153.7 million budget is a 3.99 percent increase over the current $147.8 million plan. The tax levy is increasing from $110.5 million to $113.8 — a 2.98 percent increase that is lower than the districts tax levy cap.

Central High School District voters also cast ballots for Proposition 2, which allows the district to spend $1.51 million it already has in its Capital Reserve Fund. The proposition passed, 3,183 to 917.

Voters also cast their ballots for Board of Education Trustees. In the Bellmore School District, Jay L.T. Breakstone ran unopposed and received 484 votes.

North Bellmore saw incumbent Board of Education member John Ferrara returned to his seat with 823 votes, beating challenger Erica Wilson's 495.

The board of the Central High School District is comprised of board members from Bellmore, North Bellmore, Merrick and North Merrick school districts, and is not directly voted for.

Photo: Patch