Schools

Port Jeff School Budget Passes By Slim Margin

Voters approved the $37.3 million budget that included an 8.93 percent increase in the tax rate for residents.

In a close vote, residents from Port Jefferson school district passed a $37.3 million spending budget on Tuesday for the 2011-2012 school year by a vote of 832 to 807.

Voters also put one new member onto the school board and re-elected in an incumbent. Isak Prohovnik took the most votes with 954 while Robert J. Ramus who was defending his seat received 874 votes. Another challenger James Laffey got 787 votes.

The budget represents a 0 percent increase from last year's total budget but because of mandated increases in contracted pay, benefits, transportation and special education costs the school administrators still had to come up with $2.7 million in savings.

Find out what's happening in Port Jeffersonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

, the savings came from a mix of non-instructional and administrative personnel cuts.

The new budget means an 8.93 percent increase in the tax rate for homeowners in Port Jefferson. According to Mark Flower, assistant superintendent for business, the increase will result in a rate of $131.55 per $100 of assessed value. For a home with a market value of $632,000, the annual increase translates to about $543 for the year.

Find out what's happening in Port Jeffersonwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Voting took place at in Port Jefferson on Tuesday between 6 a.m. and 9 p.m.

Port Jefferson UFSD Budget and Board Election Results 2011

1) Proposition 1 - Shall the annual budget of the Port Jefferson School District for the school year 2011-2012 in the sum of $37,354,521; as proposed by the Board of Education with the requisite portion thereof to be raised by taxation on the taxable property of the District, as required by law, be adopted? Yes - 832 No - 807 2) To elect 2 members of the Board, each for a 3 year term commencing July 1, 2011and expiring on June 30, 2014.
Isak Prohovnik - 954 Robert J. Ramus - 874 James Laffey - 787

Courtesy of Port Jefferson School district.


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