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SCHOOL BUDGET RESULTS
MSD voters PASSED √ okay budget xxx school district
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state tax information, cap. For more school electiontheresults By CAROLYN JAMES and MIKE School District voters in AmiPOLANSKY go to liherald.com/xxx
Herald reporters
Carolyn James/Herald Commuters catch one of the last trains leaving the station before the strike began.
LIRR and MTA strike a deal By BRIAN KACHARABA and CAROLYN JAMES
Herald reporters
The three-day Long Island Rail Road strike ended late Monday after five unions and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority reached a tentative agreement following several days of negotiations, officials announced at an evening news conference. Union and MTA representatives announced the deal after negotiations resumed in the afternoon and continued into the night, ending the work stoppage that had halted service and caused widespread travel disruptions across Long Island and in New York City. “We have good news tonight,” Kevin Sexton, vice president of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen and spokesman for the Long Island Railroad Bargaining Coalition, said. “We’re pleased to announce that the parties have reached an agreement.” Sexton said that details of the agreement would not be released immediately, citing the need for member review ahead of ratification votes. However, public radio station WYNC reported that the four-year deal includes retroactive pay and expires in July 2027. “Due to the nature of the negotiations, we cannot discuss the specifics,” he said. “What I can say is we are looking forward to our members getting back to work and doing what they do best, which is serving the region.”
He added that any premature disclosure of details could complicate ratification. “We don’t want to fail ratification,” Sexton said. “If they get part of this story through the media, it may impact their decision.” The agreement is subject to a 30-day period in which union members will review and vote on the tentative deal before it becomes official. The contract dispute centered largely on wage increases and the structure of compensation. A Presidential Emergency Board recommended a 4.5 percent wage increase for a one-year contract extension, while the MTA proposed a 3 percent across-the-board raise supplemented by lumpsum payments. Union leaders argued the lump sums would not permanently increase workers’ base salaries and continued pushing for higher recurring wage increases. The shutdown began after five railroad unions went on strike at 12:01 a.m. Saturday following the expiration of a federally mandated cooling-off period. The work stoppage led to widespread delays across Long Island, with shuttle buses operating on limited routes and commuters urged to work remotely where possible. Sexton also said that tensions escalated late in the negotiations on Friday night, when the MTA introduced proposed health care contributions for newly hired employees, an issue he said had not previously been part of bargaining discussions. Gov. Kathy Hochul said the agreement was
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In a controversial school board election that will likely determine the direction of the Massapequa school district over the next several years, voters went for the status quo. Easily winning reelection were incumbents Cher Lepre and Danielle Ocuto who received 4,532 votes and 4,692 votes respectively. They defeated Bobby Bonett and Lynn Russo who received 2,227 votes and 2,309 votes. The candidates differed on ongoing legal and policy issues, including the district’s efforts, and those of the incumbents, to litigate to retain its “Chiefs” logo as well as to maintain its own policies related to transgender students and facilities access. Currently the district is not in compliance with the state’s policies and the district is immersed in a legal battle over the issues. Lepre and Ocuto supported the lawsuits defending the policies while their opponents called for compliance to state regulations and diverting those legal costs to the classrooms. Voters also approved the budget 4,712 to 2,192. The district proposed a $254.66 million budget, a 4.7 percent increase, or $11.42 million, over the current $243.24 million budget. The budget is within
tyville, Farmingdale, and Plainedge also approved their school budgets. Amityville’s budget was approved 740 to 621. Farmingdale’s budget was approved 1,345 to. 806. In a hotly contested race in Amityville, the Rising Tide candidates defeated the Tide Turners. Farmingdale voters also approved the Farmingdale Youth Council budget and reelected school board members Dawn Luisi and Patrick Walsh. They ran unopposed. In Plainedge, voters okayed the budget, 664 to 279 and approved three propositions for safety and security expenditures, facilities upgrades and the establishment of a capital reserve fund. Proposition 5 asked voters to move to an at-large election system for school board trustees. That was approved 616 to 277, which means that in the future candidates for the school board will not run for a specific seat. Instead those who receive the highest number of votes will be seated. The Plainedge library budget was also approved 625 to 266. The results in every school district are expected to shape not only next year’s budget, but also the direction of the districts as they face mounting financial pressures and evolving expectations from parents and taxpayers alike.
SCHOOL BUDGET RESULTS xxx school district
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For more school election results information, go to liherald.com/xxx