Voters in nine Long Island school districts are casting their ballots Tuesday for the second time in a month on revised budget proposals that failed in May.
The districts include Elmont and Floral Park-Bellerose in Nassau County. In Suffolk County, the districts include Center Moriches, Comsewogue, East Islip, Mount Sinai, Oysterponds, Three Village and Tuckahoe.
Seven of those districts tried to exceed the New York State’s new two-percent property tax cap during the first vote on Super Tuesday. This time only the Elmont Union Free School District, an elementary school district, is trying to surpass the cap, requiring a 60 percent supermajority approval of the proposed budget.
The nine are among 24 school districts statewide holding re-votes. The new average tax levy increase for 2012-13 school year is down 46 percent from the 4.9 percent average increase in the first round of proposals, to 2.63 percent for the revote, according to the New York State Association of School Business Officials.
A district that fails to pass a budget on the second try will have to implement a school budget with no tax increase. A failed re-vote could spell drastic cuts in student services for the districts, school officials say.
Polls are open until 9 p.m.
-With Associated Press.
