Voters' Guide 2016: Greenport School District Budget, Board of Education Election

GREENPORT, NY - Greenport residents will vote on the school district’s $17,930,820 proposed budget for the 2016-17 school year on Tuesday, May 17.

The total budget increase is 5.85 percent while the tax levy would increase 8.52 percent over the current year’s rate.

The Greenport Union Free School District is looking to pierce the cap, which means the budget must pass by a supermajority, or 60 percent. The reason for the hike is to replace cuts in teachers and staffing that have been made over the past 10 years. The positions are being restored, not added, with a goal of creating additional opportunities for students, officials and supporters say.

According to Greenport School Superintendent David Gamberg, numerous budget presentations have been held over the past few months, providing detailed information over the course of many hours of time for residents, soliciting and considering feedback from the public.

The essence of the proposed budget is to restore teaching positions that have been lost over the years. There is nothing excessive included in the budget," he said.

For example, the district has a 34 year old tractor used for snow removal that would cost $56,000 to replace. "That was cut from the budget, so we will try to keep it working for a 35th year."

One of the eight to 10 positions being replaced, he said, is a reading teacher; the district does not currenlty have one.

"Student enrollment has gone up while losing those 10 teaching positions in the last nine years. The percentage of free and reduced lunch students has gone from 27 percent to over 70 percent during that same period of time," Gamberg said.

But at the same time, Greenport High School was ranked among the top in the nation, receiving a silver designation for the second time in three years. "This would not be possible without a strong foundation of teaching at the elementary level. That is what this budget is doing and why we need to pierce the cap."

School board election

Incumbents Heather Wolf and Christina Volinksi are running unopposed for two open seats.

Voting takes place from 2 to 8 p.m. in the Dude Manwaring Gymnasium at Greenport High School.