RVC Residents Flock to Polls for Budget Vote

Rockville Centre residents convened at South Side High School Tuesday afternoon for the annual school budget vote.

The $100.7 million budget comes on the heels of a $45.9 million school improvement bond that residents passed back in March.

A resounding number of voters told Patch they were in favor of the proposed budget, citing potential program cuts as the chief reason for the “yes” vote.

Rockville Centre resident Deana Finora voted in favor of the budget because she said she has children in the school district and wanted to protect the programs that make the district “one of the best districts in the country.”

Fellow resident Connie Gibney echoed Finora’s words, stating that a “no” vote would cause too many vital cuts in school programs.

“The kids succeed because of what we have to offer them and that’s our future,” Gibney said. “That’s where I want to put my money: into our future.”

The fear of potential program cuts that could be seen if the budget fails was on the mind of every “yes” voter that walked out of the booths Tuesday afternoon.

“I don’t want to see any programs cut, I don’t want to see anything change,” resident Lisa King said. “… The bottom line is the most important thing for our children is education. How much ever it costs, how much it’s going to take to keep it at the level that it’s at now, I’m willing to go that far.”

“I don’t think the budget is unreasonable. I think Rockville Centre is very fiscally responsible,” added resident Dave Ajello after voting “yes” for the budget. “My kids go to these schools and I want them to have the programs that they’re supposed to have.”

While votes in favor of the budget poured in Tuesday, there were those who could not withstand the tax ramifications from the school district.

One resident said she voted ‘no’ because the school taxes on her house were more than $18,000 and her family simply couldn’t afford it.

Resident Jack Scanlon agreed that his vote in the negative came from seeing school taxes increase too much over the years.

“I’m just trying to keep taxes down as low as I can,” Scanlon said. “School taxes are a major portion of our tax bill.”

The district’s budget vote is being held in the South Side High School gym from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Check back with Rockville Centre Patch after 9 p.m. for the official results.