Serving Williston Park, East Williston, Mineola, Albertson and Searingtown
$1.50
Friday, March 15, 2024
Vol. 73, No. 11
GUIDE TO SCHOOLS, CHAMINADE BOYS WIN GOP PICKS ASSEMBLYMAN EDUCATION & CAMPS STATE BASKETBALL TITLE TO OPPOSE SUOZZI PAGES 23-30
Vaidya challenges in E.W
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LEPRECHAUN GOLD HUNT
Newcomer takes on 2 incumbents BY TAY L O R H E R Z L I C H Two Cub Scout troop leaders turned East Williston village board trustees, James Lark and Anthony Gallo, have been serving together since 2020. The pair make good friends, living just a few blocks apart. They are both fathers who like to volunteer for their kids’ organizations, whether it be coaching the local Little League or heading up a scout troop. They have worked well together over the years, with both trustees viewing the East Williston board as a well-oiled machine. But their time on the board together could possibly come to an end this year. Newcomer Rushi Vaidya, a project manager for a consulting firm in the construction arena, is challenging the two incumbent candidates for one of the two trustee positions up for election on March 19. He is running for election with the Family Party. Vaidya moved from Astoria to East Williston in 2022 with his wife and son. A similarly civic-minded individual, he volunteers for the local Fire Department and is currently attending fire school. Although a fairly new resident, Vaidya’s admiration for the town dates back to the early days of his 10-year relationship with his now-wife, who grew up in East Williston. Continued on Page 43
PHOTO COURTESY OF TARA MCPARTLAND BRIDGES
Children participate in Williston Park Recreation’s Annual Leprechaun Gold Hunt.
Civil suits stresses Herricks budget District eyes 5.2% spending increase partly funded by $2M state aid hike BY TAY L O R H E R Z L I C H Herricks School District board members continued to emphasize that the district faces budgetary challenges for next year due to costs from settling sexual abuse claims against the district. The district is facing a number of lawsuits filed under the Child Victims Act, which extended the statute of limitations for survivors of child sex abuse.
There are currently two trials against Herricks being heard by a jury in Nassau County Supreme Court. The plaintiffs are seeking monetary damages for alleged abuse by a past school employee, Vincent Festa. The district has paid $1.1 million to settle four of 21 claims thus far. “In terms of general support, we are looking at a $4 million increase this year,” said Lisa Rutkoske, the district’s assistant superintendent for business. “That [increase] is really driven primarily by, as we have shared previously, the claims and legal fees associated with those claims.” General support includes costs associated with claims and legal support, cybersecurity, insurance, security
and utilities. The proposed 2024-2025 budget for the district is $141,710,364. This number is up a whopping 5.2% from the approved 2023-2024 budget of $134,719,970. The budget-to-budget increase is $6,990,394. Without the costs being allocated toward legal fees, the budget would only increase by 3.25% as opposed to 5.2%. The district is set to receive an estimated $27 million in state aid according to Rutkoske, which will be the district’s second largest revenue funding source. This is an increase from the district’s 2023-2024 state aid, which was an estimated $25 million. “We were fortunate as a district,”
said Rutkoske. “We are seeing an increase.” The proposed tax levy is up 2.38% last year, from a tax levy of $104,763,474 in 2023-2024 to a proposed tax levy of $107,258,592. This budget-to-budget difference represents an increase of $2,495,118. This proposed 2.38% tax levy increase goes up to the tax levy cap, which is the highest percentage by which a district can increase its tax levy from year to year. Reaching the tax levy cap is unusual, since most districts try to stay below the cap to display to parents and district residents that they are keeping individuals’ taxes in mind. Continued on Page 42