Newcomer Michele Vincent defeated Board President Beth Kierez, Board Vice President Jaclyn O’Donohue defeated newcomer Linda Grein for seats on the Floral Park-Bellerose Board of Education and the district’s $39.5 million budget was approved with 71% of the 1,602 votes on Tuesday.
The budget was approved 1,133 to 469.
A proposition to expend up to $2.3 million from the 2021 Capital Reserve Fund for building improvement projects, including part of the boiler conversion project and HVAC replacement systems. was also approved with 77% of the 1,587 votes
Both Vincent and O’Donohue defeated their challengers by more than 200 votes with 57% of the vote each.
Kierez, who lost her seat as president, received 641 votes while Vincent won with 862 votes and Grein, a former school teacher and administrator who lost to O’Donohue, received 658 votes while O’Donohue won with 862 votes.
“I will continue to advocate for equity within the district. While progress has been made, there continues to be noticeable inequities between the two schools,” Vincent previously said in a statement. “I will work tirelessly to align the two schools even further while maintaining the traditions unique to each school.”
The newly elected trustee has two children in the district, a sixth-grader and a second-grader. She said she has more than 20 years of experience in social work and education and is an active member of the community.
She has served as the sixth-grade co-chair for the PTA, a member of the strategic planning committee, a member of the John Lewis Child School decision-making committee, a member of the district budget advisory committee, the committee chair and den leader for Cub Scouts Pack 482, vice president of the Wednesday Mother’s Club, and a volunteer for Liz’s Day and the Hance Foundation.
O’Donohue said she is an active member of the community, as well.
“My career as a nurse has given me a unique perspective that I am pleased to share with the Board of Education as well as the staff and families of our community,” O’Donohue previously said in a statement. “It is important to have a board with different viewpoints and one that is not entirely made up of educators.”
The lifelong Floral Park resident has served as a trustee on the Floral Park-Bellerose board for the past three years. She graduated from Floral Park Memorial High School and earned a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in nursing.
O’Donohue has three children in the district: a freshman at Floral Park Memorial High School and a fourth-grader and first-grader at John Lewis Childs School.
She has served as a member of the district strategic planning committee, president of the Wednesday Mother’s Club, board member for Liz’s Day, treasurer for Pack 482 Cub Scouts and Girl Scout troop leader. She is a member of the John Lewis Childs PTA and the Floral Park-Bellerose PTA.
The 2024-2025 budget is $39,539,684, which is up 1.72%, or $666,887, from the 2023-2024 budget of $38,872,797.
The tax levy increase is 2.73%, which is under the state tax cap. This tax levy increase will cost taxpaying residents approximately $205 extra per calendar year, or $17 extra per month, Assistant Superintendent for Business Linda Macias said.
The adopted 2024-2025 budget estimated $9,804,446 in state aid, which is a 4.04% or $396,274 increase from the $9,408,172 in state aid included in the 2023-2024 budget.
The district has since received an increase of $51,190 in state aid from Gov. Kathy Hochul’s initial proposal. Interim Superintendent of Schools Lisa J. Ruiz said this will not cause any budget changes.
