School board election results

On Tuesday, May 19, school districts held their annual budget and board of education votes.

SOUTH COUNTRY CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

For South Country Central school district, the budget failed to pass with a vote of 1,529 in favor and 2,747 opposed.

The transportation proposition passed with 2,211 in favor to 1,105 opposed.

Elected to the school board were Kenyanah Augustin with 1,645 and Linda Brown with 1,953. Candidate Michael Kellerman had 1,230 and John Muglia had 1,558.

In a statement, the current trustees and president of the school board thanked the members of our community who participated in today’s budget vote and shared their voices throughout this year’s budget development process.

“We understood from the outset that asking residents to approve a budget that was asking for a school tax increase of more than 13% was a significant request. Throughout the process, we heard and understood the concerns expressed by members of our community regarding the financial impact such an increase would have on them,” said the board.

“While the proposed 2026-2027 budget was developed with the goal of maintaining the educational programs, services, and opportunities our students deserve, we acknowledge the outcome of the vote and the message communicated to us by the community.”

The board said, alongside district administration, they would carefully review and discuss all available options moving forward. In the coming days, they will determine whether to present a revised budget to voters on June 16 (the day designated by the NY State Education Department for a second school budget vote) or proceed with a contingency budget for the 2026-2027 school year.

“We remain committed to transparency throughout this process and will continue to keep the community informed as these decisions are made.”

PATCHOGUE-MEDFORD

Patchogue-Medford’s school district voted to pass the budget with 1,292 votes in favor and 603 opposed.

Proposition 2, which would expend from the capital reserve fund, passed with 1,399 votes in favor and 487 opposed.

Kelli Anne Jennings won re-election with 1,261 and will serve a term from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2029.

“Thank you to the community for your support in my re-election and on passing the budget and proposition 2. I will continue to lead this district in a positive direction and look forward to working with the students, teachers, administrators, staff, and the community. I will continue to advocate for all students and continue to be a sounding board to listen to the community,” said Jennings.

Michele LaMartina won a trustee seat with 1,215 votes and will serve a term from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2029.

“Words cannot express my gratitude for all the kind words and support from so many over the past few weeks! I am so appreciative for this opportunity to serve our district! I look forward to working with all of the trustees, the administration, the educators, staff, our families and the students. Thank you to the community for passing the budget! Congratulations to all the candidates for their dedication. I am eager to five back to a community that has given me so much,” said LaMartina.

Laura Banse was voted onto the school board with 948 votes and will serve a term from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027.

“Thank you to the entire Patchogue-Medford community for your support, encouragement, and trust throughout this journey. I am truly honored and grateful to have been given the privilege and opportunity to serve our community in this role. This responsibility is one that I do not take lightly, and I remain deeply committed to always putting the best interests of our students, families, teachers, staff, and community first.

I promise to remain involved, determined, accessible, and engaged as we continue working together to support and strengthen our district. I look forward to listening, collaborating, and building strong relationships with community members, faculty, administrators, and staff to help ensure every student has the opportunities and support they need to succeed.

Together, we can continue building a strong future for Patchogue-Medford and for every child and family who calls this community home,” said Banse.

 Bayport-Blue Point

Voters in the Bayport-Blue Point School District rejected their district’s proposed $88,387,020 budget for the 2026-27 school year, which required 60 percent approval due to piercing the state-mandated tax cap.

Despite 54.45 percent, or 679 votes approving the budget, since the district needed at least 60 percent of votes in favor, the adopted 2026-27 budget failed during the May 19 vote. The proposed tax-levy increase for the next school year was 2.75 percent, and the state’s mandated tax cap was -.76 percent due to expiring debt, the school district said.

“We are disappointed that tonight’s budget vote did not yield the results we were seeking,” said Timothy Hearney, Bayport-Blue Point superintendent. “District administration and the Board of Education will be meeting in the days ahead to evaluate next steps. We remain committed to providing high-quality educational opportunities while maintaining fiscal responsibility.”

With a failed budget proposal, the Bayport-Blue Point School District has three options: making reductions to the proposed budget for a revote, keeping the same budget for a revote, or using a contingency budget.

According to the district, to achieve tax-cap compliance, approximately $2.1 million in budget cuts will be required.

“Reductions of that magnitude would likely require difficult decisions around staffing, programs and services, directly impacting the educational experience of students across the district,” Bayport-Blue Point Schools said in its newsletter.

As of early Wednesday morning, Bayport-Blue Point Schools has not announced which path they will take for the 2026-27 budget.

The rejected 2026-27 budget would have resulted in a roughly $24 monthly increase in school taxes per household and would have expanded programming and maintenance issues.

Among these were expanding the district’s special education program, replacing aging Chromebooks and introducing girls flag football. Improvements to cybersecurity, along with HVAC, flooring and pipes at some schools, were also proposed in the budget.

For the Bayport-Blue Point Board of Education, incumbent trustees Jessica Pignataro and Michael Miller won re-election to their seats without opposition.