School Budgets Pass; Incumbents Keep Seats; Montauk Voters Reject Capital Improvement Bond

School budgets across the South Fork were approved by voters on Tuesday, though voters in Montauk rejected a bond measure and an HVAC upgrade. All school board incumbents who ran to keep their seats were reelected.

Amagansett

Both incumbents held their seats in a three-person race for two seats on the Amagansett Board of Education.

Kristen Peterson had the highest vote count at 159 votes; School Board President Wayne Gauger came in right after her, with 148 votes. The challenger, Joe Karpinski, finished with 74 votes.

The district’s $14.05 million budget passed, with 174 voting in favor and 38 voting against. Further, a renewed five-year tuition agreement with the East Hampton School District passed, 188-24.

Additionally, the district will be able to purchase a new school bus after voters approved the purchase, 183-29. Lastly, in a 169-39 vote, residents authorized the district to create a new capital reserve fund of up to $4 million.

Bridgehampton

The Bridgehampton School budget of $23.5 million passed on Tuesday night, with voters approving the budget, 101-29.

Two additional propositions were also approved. District residents voted, 116-17, in favor of renewing the leases on two parcels of property adjacent to the school, for a period of five years, at a total combined rental amount in the first year of $3,000, for use as part of the district’s agriculture education program. The voters also approved, 104-28, authorizing the Board of Education to appropriate $125,000 for the general use, maintenance and services of the Bridgehampton Museum for the 2025-26 school year and annually thereafter.

School Board President Jennifer L. Vinski and fellow School Board member Carla Lillie were reelected to new terms on the board, running unopposed. Vinski collected 118 votes, and Lillie had 101.

East Hampton

East Hampton community members voted, 271-42, in favor of an $88.14 million budget for the 2025-26 school year.

The spending plan is a 6.34 percent increase from this year’s budget and carries a $65.68 million tax levy, which is a 5.34 percent increase that is tax cap compliant. Assistant Superintendent for Business Sam Schneider explained part of that jump is due to a $1.64 million transfer of funds to pay for new boilers at John M. Marshall Elementary School, which date back to the early 1980s.

Proposition 2, authorizing the use of $3.28 million from the capital reserve fund to install a new playground at John M. Marshall Elementary School and also renovate two classrooms at East Hampton High School for a new science research lab, passed, 280-33.

Proposition 3, which was also approved, 271-36, establishes a new repair reserve fund, which could save up to $7.5 million over time to fund periodic repairs throughout the district.

The fourth proposition, to establish a new capital reserve fund to save up to $10 million over time to fund future capital projects, also passed, 278-39.

Alongside the budget, Board of Education President J.P. Foster and Trustee Sandra Vorpahl, running unopposed alongside newcomer Belinda Bellas for three open seats, with Justine O’Mara Limonius choosing not to run again, earned 278, 290 and 246 votes, respectively.

Eastport-South Manor

Eastport-South Manor School District voters approved a $119.19 million tax cap compliant budget on Tuesday, with 492, or 61.5 percent, casting votes in favor and 308, or 38.5 percent, voting no.

The 2025-26 budget includes a 2.93 percent increase in spending overall. The tax levy will rise 2.97 percent to $66,667,240 under the plan.

District voters also supported funding for library services, 628-168, a 78.9 percent approval.

Three incumbents on the Board of Education ran unopposed. Cristina Costanza was the top vote-getter with 503, and David Samartino was right behind at 502. Francesco Ferraro had 449 votes. Each will serve a new three-year term.

East Quogue

East Quogue School District voters overwhelmingly supported the district’s $32.3 million budget for the 2025-26 school year, 311-74.

Voters also approved the district’s $848,971 budget for the Suffolk County Cooperative Library System and a $475,000 expenditure from the district’s capital reserves for repairs to the East Quogue Elementary School roof and upgrades to the art room and other facilities.

Incumbent School Board members Brianna Gladding and Jessica Stalters were unchallenged in their bids for reelection and earned new terms on the board.

Hampton Bays

Hampton Bays community members voted, 509-120, in favor of a $67.5 million budget for the 2025-26 school year.

The spending plan is a 2.16 percent increase from the current year’s budget and comes with a $51,373,215 tax levy, a 3.32 percent increase that is compliant with the state’s cap on tax levy increases.

Proposition 2, asking residents to authorize the use of up to $300,000 of undesignated, unreserved fund balance from the current school year’s budget for repairs, renovations and upgrades to facilities and grounds, also passed, 536-93.

Alongside the annual budget vote, Board of Education President Kevin Springer and Vice President Richard Joslin, running unopposed, won back their seats with 457 and 506 votes, respectively.

Montauk

Montauk voters rejected a move to take out a bond intended for a school renovation project that would have ultimately cost $38 million through taxes over the next 20 to 25 years.

The vote wound up being 318 for and 361 against the project, which would have ended with an improved gymnasium after the district received an “unsatisfactory” grade from New York State on its current facilities. Outside the new gymnasium, the bond would have funded a new science classroom, designated areas for middle and elementary school students and an outdoor classroom.

By an even narrower margin, 334-342, voters rejected a $2.9 million capital project that would have authorized an upgrade to the school’s HVAC system.

Only one name, Leigh-Ann Hess, appeared on the ballot to replace School Board President Diane Hausman, but a write-in candidate garnered enough support to appear in the final tally. However, Hess defeated her write-in opponent Tara Coleman by a vote of 368-193.

The district’s $24.56 million budget passed by a tally of 403-280. A renewed five-year tuition agreement with East Hampton School District also passed, 470-210.

Quogue

Quogue School Board President Steve Failla narrowly held onto one of the three board seats up for election in Tuesday’s school vote, besting challenger Maureen Krause by just three votes, to win a fourth term on the board. Failla got 91 votes for reelection while Krause got 89 votes. The other two incumbents on the ballot both won reelection as well, with Gabe Kochmer getting 95 votes and Paul Bass 114 votes.

Voters also approved a proposition that will give Bass, as the highest vote getter, a four-year term on the board, while Kochmer and Failla will serve three-year terms, to stagger voting for board seats better.

The district’s 2025-26 operating budget of $10.1 million was approved by a wide margin of votes, 136-22.

Propositions to approve the Quogue Library budget and two expenditures of reserve funds for upgrades to the school facilities also were approved with overwhelming support.

Remsenburg-Speonk

Voters in the Remsenburg-Speonk School District overwhelmingly approved a $16.79 million budget on Tuesday. The spending plan, which carries a 2.8 percent spending increase but stays below the state tax levy cap, passed by a 160-23 vote.

Two incumbent School Board members who ran unopposed, Kevin Toolan, the board’s current president, and Suzanne Saulino, were reelected to three-year terms. Toolan received 155 votes, and Saulino received 152 votes.

Two other propositions on the ballot also passed easily. One that allows the district to contract with the Suffolk Cooperative Library System for direct access to library service at a cost of $384,826 passed with 169 yes votes and only 13 no votes. The second proposition, which allows the district to expand the amount of money allocated to its capital reserve fund from $3 million to $7 million, passed, 154-30.

Riverhead

Voters in the Riverhead School District approved a $211.43 million budget by a 211-vote margin on Tuesday. The vote was 1,004-793 for the budget, which carries a 4.95 percent spending increase but remains within the state tax levy cap.

Current School Board President James Scudder was reelected with 1,193 votes, and board member Matthew Wallace received 1,272 votes. Both ran unopposed.

Riverhead voters also approved, 1,188-590, a proposition that allows the district to spend a total $3.17 million, from both its capital reserve fund and operating budget, to renovate the kitchens and cafeterias at the Riley Avenue and Phillips Avenue elementary schools.

Sagaponack

Voters in the Sagaponack School District voted unanimously in favor of the district’s $2.09 million budget for the 2025-26 school year.

Elizabeth Barton was elected to the School Board, receiving all 23 votes cast.

Two people voted against the district contracting with the East Hampton and Bridgehampton school districts to accept Sagaponack students in grades four to 12, but voted in favor of the contract with the Sag Harbor schools. All three school districts were approved to be receiving districts.

Sag Harbor

The Sag Harbor School District budget vote passed on Tuesday night by a wide margin, 369-70. The budget of $52.36 million resulted in tax levy that was under the tax levy cap for the 14th straight year.

An additional proposition, to use $975,000 from capital reserves to fund districtwide HVAC unit ventilator upgrades, also passed comfortably, 394-52.

School Board members Grainne Coen and Ron Reed, who were unopposed, were elected to another term on the board. Coen collected 379 votes and Reed had 373.

Southampton

Residents of the Southampton School District approved the district’s $82.2 million budget and $64.8 million tax levy in a 325-177 vote on Tuesday.

Voters also passed all of the propositions, which will authorize a number of capital projects, including the Phase 2 renovations to the new district office, as well as the replacement of one bus and the purchase of another, and technology upgrades.

The last four propositions will authorize the district to contract with the Southampton African American Museum for $125,000, the Southampton History Museum for $290,000, the Parrish Art Museum for $446,189 and the Southampton Youth Association for $460,000 and levy taxes for the 2025-26 school year.

Additionally, newcomers Laura White and Rodney “Chip” Pierson were elected to the School Board, running unopposed for a pair of seats.

Springs

Community members in Springs approved a $38.41 million budget for the 2025-26 school year by a vote of 244-50.

The spending plan is a 1.58 percent increase from this current year’s budget, and comes with a $35.12 million tax levy, a 3.6 percent increase that is state tax levy cap compliant.

Proposition 2, a five-year tuition contract with East Hampton School District, increasing tuition 7.6 percent in year one, 1.8 percent in years two, three and four and 2 percent in year five, was also approved, 245-48.

Proposition 3, establishing a new repair reserve — a dedicated savings account for building repairs and maintenance — which will be funded with excess fund balance from time to time, kickstarted with money from the prior established repair reserve fund and limited to $7.5 million, passed, 251-42.

In a three-way race for two open seats on the Board of Education, President Erik Fredrickson and Trustee Emma Field won back their seats over challenger Gerard Picco. Fredrickson garnered 238 votes, Field 259 votes and Picco 43 votes.

“I am honored to be reelected,” Fredrickson said. “As a board member, I volunteer to serve our students and to listen to all voices. I’m thankful to play a role in improving the education and experiences for all of our students through our amazing staff and community.”

Tuckahoe

Tuckahoe Common School District voters approved the district’s nearly $25.7 million budget in a 132-41 vote on Tuesday.

An additional four propositions also passed, which will authorize a number of capital projects, allow the transfer of $400,000 from the Reserve for Retirement Contributions to the Employee Benefit Accrued Liability Reserve, and levy funds for the Southampton Youth Association and Parrish Art Museum.

Brian Doyle, running unopposed, received 153 votes to keep his seat on the Board of Trustees and serve a full three-year term following a special election in March.

Wainscott

Wainscott voters approved a $4.99 million budget for the Wainscott Common School District for the upcoming school year, 57-8.

Additionally, voters reelected incumbent and unopposed Board of Education member William Babinski to another term, which will expire in 2028.

Westhampton Beach

Residents in the Westhampton Beach School District approved a $66.76 million budget for the 2025-26 school year, 262-71.

The spending plan is 2.89 percent increase from this current year’s budget and comes with a $35.68 million tax levy, a 3.18 percent increase that is under the state cap on property tax rate increases.

Proposition 2, the Westhampton Free Library budget, passed, 273-59, and proposition 3, the Greater Westhampton Historical Museum budget, was approved, 265-67.

Board of Education President Elizabeth Lanni-Hewitt and Trustee Dawn Arrasate kept their seats in the annual board election with 256 and 259 votes, respectively. The pair ran unopposed.