Lindenhurst Votes on $140.2M School Budget, BOE Candidates

This year’s 2011-12 school budget process that culminated in the Board of Education approving a now comes down to the voters.

On Lindenhurst residents will head to the polls to vote on the budget and which of the they want for three positions on the BOE.

They’ll head to one of five polling places between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.:

• District One: .
• District Two:
• District Three:
• District Four:
• District Five:

is also set for 8 p.m. at the .

The vote caps a budget season marked with much drama, including the walkout of 300 teachers during the budget workshop.

The BOE’s heard numerous passionate pleas from students, parents and teachers to keep such programs as ALC, dance, media, JROTC and full day kindergarten at this year’s budget workshops and community forums.

Many of those programs have been preserved, increasing expenditures by 2.23 percent year-over year. Several million in reserves have also been used to save program, in hopes a deal could be reached with the teachers’ union, TAL.

The even after the board postponed the to April 13. The board’s expressed it’s optimistic that a deal with a true zero, or pay freeze with no steps or lanes, can be reached, and/or the community will pass the budget as is.

That’s according to BOE President Ed Murphy, Jr., during meetings following the April 13 budget approval, and as he took the budget to the public via groups like the on , the civic associations and the Rainbow Senior Center, among others.

Murphy’s said the board wanted to give residents the chance to vote on the budget as is. And with a mantra of “Aren’t our children worth it?” Nathan’s been breaking down the tax levy and budget to residents to a cost of less than $1.37 day, which amounts to about $500 a year – a figure that taxpayers seeking relief say could still hurt them.