Budget and Capital Reserve Vote & Trustee Election on May 16

Huntington School District voters will go to the polls on Tuesday, May 16 to cast ballots on the proposed school budget for 2023/24 and a capital reserve fund proposition and to elect two members to the board of education. Voting will be held at Huntington High School from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The budget totals $146,347,091, an increase of 2.36 percent or $3,378,748 over the current year’s spending plan. If approved by residents, the 2023/24 budget would raise the tax levy by 0.69 percent.

It is estimated that the tax rate will increase from $251.31 to $253.53 per $100 of assessed valuation. The district is budgeting for assessed valuation to hold steady at $44,851,997. The final tax rate will be set in the fall after the district receives final figures from the town assessor.

The 2023/24 budget allocates monies for new text and print resources, new computer software, new library resources and new instructional equipment, including computers and tablet devices. The budget funds 72 interscholastic athletic teams and105 coaching positions.

Total state aid is projected to increase by $3,636,987 to $29,702,735 in 2023/24. The district is allocating $600,000 in surplus monies to hold down the tax rate.

Highlights of the proposed budget include:

• Expands the district’s computer science initiatives.

• Strengthens English-as-a-new language instructional services.

• Reduces elementary class sizes.

• Improves RtI reading and math support efforts.

• Provides an additional school counselor at Finley.

• Creates a new K-12 director of science and technology

• Provides funds to hire a construction manager to oversee the district’s capital projects.

• Creates a new student support advisor position at the intermediate grade level buildings.

• Provides for capital funding to replace a deteriorated greenhouse that is original to when Huntington High School was constructed in 1957/58.

• Maintains the district’s K-5 dual language and its world language FLEX program.

• Provides for a comprehensive special education program for students with disabilities and an assortment of support services for all students.

• Continues the SEARCH and Math Olympiad programs for fifth and sixth graders.

• Provides software and professional development for elementary iReady implementation.

• Includes monies to support new courses and programs across grades K-12.

A copy of the budget is posted on the district’s website at www.hufsd.edu and can also be inspected in person at the Huntington Public Library and at any of the eight school buildings in Huntington UFSD. Questions about voting can be directed to the district clerk’s office at 631.673.2126 during regular business hours.

The budget enhances academic programs and keeps the art, music, physical education, extracurricular club and interscholastic athletic programs intact. It fully funds the Blue Devil marching band, elementary and secondary grade level bands, orchestras and ensembles and district drama clubs, the science research program, robotics and mock trial initiatives and other academic and co-curricular offerings. Student bus transportation based upon current mileage guidelines will also continue.

The plan provides funds to implement strategic improvements to the academic and co-curricular offerings across the district. Depending on the grade level, current class size guidelines will either be maintained or lowered. The budget sets aside monies for several contingent teacher positions that can be filled should enrollment increase.

Capital Reserve Proposition

The Huntington School Board approved a capital reserve fund proposition and placed it on the May 16 ballot. If the proposal is approved by residents it will fund an estimated $5.935 million worth of projects.

Passage of the proposition will not result in any increase in taxes since the monies already exist in reserve funds established to cover costs of renovation and reconstruction work.

The projects will utilize monies drawn from the 2008, 2013, 2017, 2018 and 2022 Building Improvement Funds. Huntington UFSD’s use of capital reserve funds has allowed the district to avoid borrowing large sums of money, incurring interest costs and accumulating debt. The district’s long-term debt is below $1 million and will be completely eliminated in three years.

The monies in the capital reserve fund represent dollars already provided to the district by taxpayers that, because of stringent fiscal management and economizing weren’t needed to pay for regular school operations. The source of the funding is the annual transfer of surplus monies from the district’s general fund.

The projects that will be on the May 16 ballot include:

Huntington High School

• Lighting on new turf field: $985,000

J. Taylor Finley Middle School

• Reconstruction of two science rooms and a science prep room: $800,000

Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School

• Phase II of roof replacement: $1,200,000

• Pressure boost system: $200,000

Flower Hill Primary School

• Install two new boilers: $800,000

Southdown Primary School

• Install two new boilers: $800,000

Washington Primary School

• Update electrical service and switchgear: $350,000

• Install rooftop solar energy system and transformer: $450,000

jomiranda@hufsd.edu

Trustee Election

Residents will also have an opportunity to elect two members to the Board of Education. The top two vote-getters will serve three year terms commencing on July 1 and running through June 30, 2026. Candidates include current trustees Kelly Donovan and Xavier Palacios and challenger Amaru Jones.

Kelly Donovan

Kelly Donovan grew up in nearby Northport. She and her husband, Dave have been Huntington residents for nearly a decade. She attended Fordham University in Lincoln Center, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications. She lived and worked in New York City following graduation.

Mrs. Donovan forged a successful career in marketing with such notable brands as Harper Collins, CNET and Yahoo! prior to co-founding a small business - Craftree - in Huntington Village.

An active and engaged parent to her two daughters at J. Taylor Finley Middle School and Jack Abrams STEM Magnet School, Mrs. Donovan has always played a significant role in the PT A, holding numerous executive board positions from corresponding secretary to co-president, and has chaired countless PTA events.

Mrs. Donovan has established strong bonds with local parents and community members and has a deep appreciation for the Huntington School District and its rich academic, extracurricular and cultural offerings. She is seeking re-election to a trustee seat to help maximize the educational experience of all Huntington students, while balancing nuanced community demands.

Amaru Jones

Amaru Jones is a lifelong Huntington resident. A member of Huntington High School’s Class of 2016, he is 2020 graduate of SUNY Cortland where he majored in political science and minored in African studies.

Upon receiving his undergraduate degree, Mr. Jones taught sixth and seventh grade world history at Success Academy charter school in Springfield Gardens. He currently serves as a legislative aide with the Suffolk County Legislature.

Mr. Jones is co-founder, president and board member of Leaders of the New School, a non-profit whose mission is to develop programs that address the needs of youth from diverse backgrounds and family experiences. He recently initiated a social media marketing campaign to revitalize a neglected park in Huntington Station, which resulted in a $1.2 million dollar grant.

If elected, Mr. Jones wishes to focus on “educating the whole child” in the context of providing as many resources as possible to ensure student success in the classroom and in their future pursuits. From vocational schools to extracurricular endeavors, he understands that our schools provide safe and knowledgeable places where students can learn, grow and achieve their dreams.”

Xavier Palacios

Xavier Palacios is completing his fourth term on the Huntington School Board. A member of Huntington’s Class of 1988, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at Columbia University and a Juris Doctor at Boston University's School of Law. He is the owner and managing partner of a Mineola-based law firm.

Mr. Palacios and his wife, Laura have three children, including a daughter who was a member of Huntington’s Class of 2016, a 2020 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and current student at Cornell Law School; and two daughters in the ninth and seventh grades, respectively at Huntington High School and J. Taylor Finley Middle School.

Mr. Palacios purchased and renovated a distressed property in Huntington Station where he established a law office along with a community revitalization non-profit organization. He is a member of Huntington Hospital’s Board of Trustees as well as the chairperson of the Hospital’s Community Health Committee. He has encouraged parents to be actively involved in their child’s education and has been recognized for his work in the community and for his efforts to strengthen opportunities for young people.

Mr. Palacios also volunteers as the high school mock trial team’s legal advisor, training students in the art of courtroom strategies.

Eligibility to Vote

To be eligible to vote in the election, an individual must be a U.S. citizen, 18 years of age or older, a resident of Huntington School District for at least 30 days and be registered to vote in a general election or with the school district. For more information contact District Clerk Joanne Miranda at (631) 673-2126 or jomiranda@hufsd.edu.

A copy of the line-by-line proposed budget is available by visiting the Huntington School District’s website at www.hufsd.edu. A 12 page brochure containing information about the budget and capital reserve proposition and profiles of the three Huntington School Board candidates has been mailed to all addresses in the district. The publication is also available on the district website.

Contact Superintendent James W. Polansky at jpolansky@hufsd.edu for more information about the budget and capital reserve proposition.