The Great Neck Public School’s $290 million budget was approved Tuesday, May 20, with 80.7% of the vote. There were 1,337 in favor and 320 against.
The budget, which is increasing by 2.84%, includes a 3.05% tax levy increase, which did not exceed the district’s allowable cap.
According to calculations made by Schneps Media LI, the district spends $42,615 per student.
The district’s proposition to use of $8.8 million in capital reserves for North Middle School field improvements and room renovation also passed with 75% of the vote. A total of 1,258 votes were in favor of the use of funds and 418 against it.
The two projects are for installing a synthetic turf field along with other field improvements and converting a former shop classroom into a multi-purpose meeting room at Great Neck North Middle School.
The community also voted to re-elect Vice President Donna Peirez to the district’s board of education. She ran unopposed and received 1,472 votes.
This will be Peirez’s fourth term, which will expire on June 30, 2028.
“Thank you to the Great Neck community for supporting our schools by voting for the budget with an 80% passing rate. It shows a commitment to all of our students and the future of education in our town,” Peirez said. “I look forward to working with my colleagues and all community members during the next three years to provide the very best education possible for our students. Thank you to the beautiful tapestry of people and cultures that make up the population of our town and have reelected me for another term to the Board of Education.
Peirez, a former district teacher, joined the Board of Education in 2016 to fill a vacancy left by Monique Bloom, who had resigned.
Peirez was nominated as vice president of the district’s Board of Education last year and previously served in the position from 2021 to 2022.
She also chairs the board’s Policy Committee, a position she has held since 2017, and previously served on the district-wide Safety Committee from 2017 to 2019.
Peirez said she ran for re-election to continue contributing to the district’s re-energizing through new and changing leadership, protecting the autonomy of public schools, supporting the values of public school education, and ushering in a new curriculum that responds to technology and advancements with best practices for students.
She said she sought another term on the board due to recent administrative changes and a desire to see through the onboarding of new administrators and district leaders.
Voters also approved the Great Neck Library’s $11 million budget, an increase of $712,679, or 6.91%, from the current budget.
The budget received 1,297 votes, or 78.8% of the votes.
