DP/NB School Budget Voter's Guide

Deer Park and North Babylon residents head to the polls Tuesday to vote on proposed school budgets for their respective districts. 

Here is what you need to know:

Deer Park

The Deer Park School District Board of Education is proposing a $103.67 budget, which, if approved, will raise the school tax levy by 2.99 percent. That is within the state's tax cap for the district. The adopted spending plan represents a 2.4 percent increase from the current year's operating budget.

Under the budget, a total of 10 full-time teacher equivalents will be reduced, three of which are retirees and 3.8 of which are part-time or temporary positions. 

The board voted in March to close Abraham Lincoln School in June, which will save the district an estimated $349,000 next year, with the potential for lease revenue in the future. The pre-kindergarten and alternative high school programs will be relocated within the district in September. 

Polls are open Tuesday at Deer Park High School from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. 

School Board President John Gouskos, Vice President Keith Rooney and trustees Frank T. Wilkinson and Al Centamore are all running unopposed for re-election. 

North Babylon

The North Babylon Board of Education adopted a $112 million budget, which includes a school tax levy increase of 3.4 percent, at a meeting last month. The budget exceeds the state's tax cap and will need a 60 percent supermajority vote from residents to pass.

School officials have said that unlike other districts that are seeking to pierce the tax cap while also cutting programs and services, the North Babylon proposal is about supporting students and adding things back. 

Among the expenses included in the budget proposal: $400,000 to hire four new elementary school teachers to help trim down class sizes and nearly $300,000 for school security upgrades. 

There are four people running for two seats on the North Babylon Board of Education. Board trustee Jay Shinnick is being challenged by Heather Rowland and incumbent Bod Scheid is being opposed by Geri-Ann McNamee. Read our candidate profiles at the links below:

N. Babylon BOE Candidate: Bob Scheid
N. Babylon BOE Candidate: Jay Shinnick
N. Babylon BOE Candidate: Heather Rowland
N. Babylon BOE Candidate: Geri-Ann McNamee

Polls are open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. at four of the district's elementary schools– Marion G. Vedder, Parliament Place, Woods Road and Belmont. To find out where you vote, take a look at the map on the final page of the district's Budget Digest here.