Sending it back for changes. Voters in East Hampton have rejected both the town’s budget and the school district budget. This comes after a passionate push by local parents to protest cuts to education in the town.
“I think this is indicative of what we’ve been saying all along,” Tania Sones, a voter, said.
The voters in East Hampton said no to the town and school budgets and also saying both are too low. It’s a victory for the “No, Too Low” campaigners who were out in full force, angry over $792,000 in proposed cuts to education which would include eliminating teaching positions.
“We cannot have classrooms of 26 kids. Our children deserve much better than that,” Julie Foulis, who voted “No, Too Low,” said.
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Others felt more skeptical, saying these budgets already had the approval of the Board of Education they were also worried about paying too much for services in taxes.
“If they don’t need the money, I’m not going to give them the money, because you’re just going to go up the following year and then the following year,” Robert Fraulino, who voted “Yes” to both budgets said.
However, voters rejected both budgets in about a two-to-one margin. East Hampton Schools Superintendent Paul Smith says the vote was an encouraging sign and he appreciates the support from voters.
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But as the budgets get sent back to the town board of finance, Smith says it will be tough to get all of the money back.
“If I can get about $250,000 back, I at least can bring back the three classroom teachers and that avoids canceled classes at the high school or larger class sizes at the elementary school, so I think it’s a time for compromise at this point,” he said.
The Board of Finance will discuss changes to the budgets at their next meeting on June 6.
