Hampton Bays School District Budget Given Green Light By Voters

HAMPTON BAYS, NY — Hamptons Bays residents headed to the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots in the 2022 to 2023 school budget vote and school board candidate election.

The budget passed by a wide margin of 644 to 142.

The Hampton Bays Public Schools' proposed $59,565,029 budget carries a 3.9 percent budget-to-budget increase and a 0.0 percent tax levy increase, "thanks to a record infusion of state aid to public education," Superintendent of School Lars Clemensen said.

Voters were asked to weigh in on a proposition to repair, reconstruct and upgrade the school district's buildings, facilities and grounds, including incidental costs, at a maximum estimated cost of $300,000 with the amount of up to $300,000 to be transferred from unappropriated and unassigned fund balance from the school year 2021 to2022 to the general fund to pay the
costs.

The measure also passed, 666 to 117.

Three candidates vied for two open seats on the Board of Education, including Rich Iannelli and incumbents Rich Joslin and Kevin Springer. Joslin and Springer won, with 595 and 464 votes, respectively; Iannelli garnered 377 votes.

"This is the 10th year that the district is putting forth a budget that remains under New York State's tax levy cap. This is possible through the district's goal to bolster our strong academic foundation through new, relevant and inspiring educational opportunities for students and the community while maintaining fiscal responsibility," Clemensen said.