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SCHOOL BUDGET RESULTS _____________
UNIONDALE
HERALD
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For more school election results information, go to liherald.com/xxx
Haitian Heritage Month concert
STEAM night in Hempstead
Students travel to Japan
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Vol. 76 No. 21
MAY 21 - 27, 2026
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SCHOOL BUDGET RESULTS
Voters approve FAILED X school budget xxx school district
0 VOTES
For more results information, would likely affect staffBy STACY DRIKS school electionwhich
ing, because salaries and benego to liherald.com/xxx
sdriks@liherald.com
Stacy Driks/Herald
A Long Island Rail Road train passed through Mineola station after a three-day strike that disrupted thousands of commuters’ schedules and left some local businesses dealing with slower weekend business.
Long Island Rail Road and MTA make a deal to end work stoppage By STACY DRIKS & BRIAN KACHARABA of the Herald
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 the
spokesman for the Long Island Railroad Bargaining Coalition, said. “We’re pleased to announce that the parties have reached an agreement.” For local commuters and businesses, the tentative agreement ended several days of uncertainty after many had begun preparing for a prolonged disruption. Uniondale residents who rely on the LIRR often use nearby stations such as Hempstead, Mineola, West Hempstead or Carle Place, depending on where they live. The strike also complicated a busy New York City sports weekends, as the Mets and Yankees faced off in the Subway Series. For local restaurants and bars, the rivalry usually brings in fans looking to watch the games or ContInued on pAge 8
Voters approved the Uniondale school district’s $296 million spending plan on Tuesday, by a count of 718-451, which cleared the 60 percent supermajority the proposal required, because it exceeded the district’s state-calculated tax cap. The spending plan includes a 2 percent tax levy increase, which will cost homeowners an average of $121 more a year. Uniondale’s tax cap was negative 0.4 percent this year. The increase was needed because the district faces rising costs for state-mandated services, transportation, employee benefits and charter school tuition. The budget is intended to preserve classroom programs while limiting the impact on homeowners as much as possible in a tight budget year. The budget, which is 3.7 percent larger than the current spending plan, is also designed to maintain current educational programs, support staffing levels and invest in technology upgrades across district. Without the tax increase, the district would need to cut about $2.7 million from the budget,
fits account for 70 percent of spending. The biggest strain on the budget is Uniondale’s Academy Charter School, district officials said. About 40 percent of district students attend the school, with the district planning to pay $26,090 per student for 925 students next year. Voters also approved a second proposition, 842-290, authorizing the district to use capital reserve funds for playground upgrades at several elementary schools and tennis court improvements at Lawrence Road Middle School. Incumbent Board of Education President Mary Bediako won another term, receiving 770 votes. Yvette Janniere also won a another term on the board with 778 votes. Both were unopposed. The vote came after a Uniondale Empowerment Resource Center meeting on May 14, at which officials explained the spending plan to residents and answered questions about cost, taxes and district priorities. Janniere also addressed the gathering, outlining what she considered the district’s most urgent needs moving forward.