Southampton School Budget Passes By Sweeping Majority

SOUTHAMPTON, NY — The absentee votes were counted and the Southampton Union Free School District's 2020 to 2021 budget passed by a wide margin Tuesday night.

The budget passed by a resounding 1,406 to 625, officials said.

Voters also gave the green light to a proposition authorizing the expenditure of $2.5 million from the district's "2007 Ten Year Capital Reserve Fund" for building improvements, including renovations to provide HVAC rooftop unit replacements at Southampton High School for $1.5 million; districtwide security access upgrades for a cost of $250,000; and classroom ceiling installations at Southampton Elementary School for $750,000.

That proposition passed by a vote of 1,583 to 456.

A contract with the Southampton Youth Association passed 1,526 to 515, as did a contract with the Southampton Historical Museum, which passed 1,383 to 666 — and a contract with the Parrish Art Museum, which was approved by a vote of 1,306 to 725.

Two incumbents were running unopposed to retain two Board of Education seats: Anastasia Gavalas received 1,406 votes and James McKenna garnered 1,500.

The $72,856,394 budget reflects a budget-to-budget increase of 1.32 percent and a tax levy increase of 2.99 percent, which does not pierce the New York State tax cap.