Marenghi and Moran Elected to School Board
On May 18, the Levittown School District budget that called for a 3.81 percent tax levy increase failed by 23 votes.
The failed 2010/11 budget of $193,543,816 was a 6.12 percent increase over the 2009/10 budget of $182,382,412.
With 3,227 votes for the budget and 3,250 votes against it, the school district has decided to re-count the votes. A school district official said Wednesday morning that the voting machines were sealed and sent to the Board of Elections for a re-count. It is estimated to take a few days for the re-count results to come in.
The district official said Wednesday morning that the district had not yet decided whether they would put the budget up for a re-vote in June. The school board is expected to meet sometime next week to discuss their options.
In the Board of Education trustee race, School Board President Dan Bornstein was ousted as Peggy Sheridan-Marenghi and James W. Moran received the most votes to win Bornstein’s seat and outgoing trustee Gina Interdonato’s seat.
“I’m elated,” Marenghi told the Levittown Tribune. “A good, clean campaign won.”
Moran, who was previously a school board trustee and left the position in the middle of a term, said, “I’m overwhelmed. The community remembers the reasons I left and I want to thank the members of the community.”
Moran received 2,933 votes and Marenghi received 2,752 votes. Bornstein received 2,524 votes and Tom Kohlman received 2,126 votes according to Tonie McDonald, acting assistant superintendent for business and finance, who read the results to a crowded room at LMEC Tuesday night as the tallies came in.
“Dan is an absolute gentleman and his heart was always in the right place,” Interdonato said of Bornstein after the final votes came in.
“This is my ninth and final year on the board and I thank you all for the opportunity to serve the Levittown community,” Interdonato said.
Bornstein said he is looking forward to spending more time with his family and thanks the community for the three years he served.
“It’s been a good three years,” he told the Tribune. “I’ve learned a lot about the district; it doesn’t mean I go away. The people got what the people want.”
Busing Proposition Fails
K-5 Students Within 3/4 Mile Will Receive Busing
Residents of the Levittown School District voted overwhelmingly to deny Proposition Two, asking to alter the district’s busing policy.
The proposition received 1,805 votes for and 4,083 votes against.
On May 18 voters were asked if they wanted to decrease the minimum distance K-5 students are required to live from their school in order to receive busing. The proposition called for lowering the current three-quarters of a mile minimum to half a mile.
According to District Superintendent Dr. Herman Sirois, lowering the minimum distance would have meant the district would provide busing for an additional 1,000 students.
The Levittown School Board estimated busing the additional 1,000 would have cost the district $856,000.
