Patchogue-Medford 2020-21 School Budget Live Vote Tonight

PATCHOGUE-MEDFORD, NY — Tuesday marks the last day that residents can vote whether or not to approve the district's proposed 2020-2021 school budget, as well as elect the school board and library trustees.

All registered voters who live in the district's boundaries received an absentee ballot in the mail with a postage-paid return envelope, the district said. To be counted, school budget ballots can be accepted by hand delivery through 5 p.m. on June 9 and received by mail through June 16 by the school district.

The Patchogue-Medford School District's proposed spending plan for the 2020-21 school year is $195,172,581. That's a 0.24 percent decrease from the current budget. To fund the increase, the district proposes a tax levy of $2,035,000, up 0.25 percent from the current year's.

Typically, the Board of Education adopts the budget and it is presented to the community about a month before the annual vote. Gov. Andrew Cuomo changed the voting process this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The tabulation of the votes will begin on Tuesday and is expected to take more than one day. The counting of the votes will be held in the South Ocean Middle School cafeteria and a viewing area will be provided for up to 10 people. Face masks and social distancing will be required. The hours for tabulation are Tuesday, June 16 from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. and all subsequent weekdays from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. until the count is competed.