East Hampton Taxpayers Vote on Proposed Cuts to School Budget

A controversial vote on proposed cuts to the school budget in East Hampton pushed taxpayers to the polls Tuesday.

On the ballot were almost $800,000 in cuts to the school district’s budget. If voters approve the cuts, the superintendent, Paul Smith, said five teaching positions would need to be eliminated including two elementary teachers, one high school English teacher and two special education teachers who work in the upper elementary level.

This opportunity to vote came after the town council held several lengthy meetings were there was public outcry from parents, students and teachers who opposed the cuts.

Several parents turned out to vote on Tuesday, including Elizabeth Quealy, who has three young children, two of whom are already in the public school district.

“Education is important whether or not you have children in the school system. It’s our future and it’s really what we need to focus on,” Quealy said.

Quealy said her oldest child in fifth grade needs additional help with math and reading. She is concerned about the potential increase in class size and reduction of resources if the budget were to be approved.

Jude Barry, who has three children in the district in grades 7, 9 and 11, shared the same concerns.

“The whole reason I moved to this town is for the children,” said Barry. “The ratios will be worse and the kids won’t get the attention they’ll need.”

One of Barry’s children even attended one of the previous town council meetings.

“How often do you see children, children at a town hall meeting? So, the fact that our kids are bright enough is a statement of the educational system of itself,” said Barry.

But other voters questioned if the school district could be doing a better job budgeting with the money they already have.

“How much do we really need? How much bigger schools? How many more athletic fields do we have to have,” said Tim Larson, an East Hampton voter.

“I think it’s too high because they increase the budget ever year and they have less students,” said Dale Weiman, an East Hampton voter.

The district has seen a slight decrease in enrollment and have adjusted accordingly, according to Superintendent Smith. For example, in the 2022-2023 and 2023-2024 school year, enrollment decreased by approximately 20 children each year. The district took steps and already eliminated an elementary teaching position each time.

Smith said that if the proposed $800,000 cuts went through and another two elementary positions had to be eliminated, they would have to combine classes and the size would go from 20 or 21 students in a class to 24 or 25.

But some voters said the taxes in East Hampton are starting to become unreasonably expensive.

“The mill rates are become so high that it becomes very difficult for the average person to even afford a home in this area, unless you're making a certain amount of money. And that's kind of pushes those people who've been here, legacy people who've been here for a long time, away from it,” Larson said. “If you look around you, even the building in front of us [Town Hall] cost us millions and millions of dollars. And to that point, it just becomes almost difficult for someone to make it on the taxes, especially if you as you go toward retirement,” said Larson.

Voters had until 8 p.m. on Tuesday to vote.