Results of Rockland County School Board Elections and Budget Votes

by M.C. Millman

Voters in the East Ramapo Central School District (ERCSD) rejected the 2024 Budget Vote proposal, which included a call for a $36,276,223 budget increase, by a vote of 1,917 to 1,519. An increase would have raised the budget by 12.27% over last year's budget and increased the tax levy by 1.99% in school taxes for each taxable household. The vote was 1,917  to 1,519.

As the budget did not pass, school taxes might remain the same as they were this past year, although a revote on a modified budget is more likely and must take place by June 18. School districts get two chances to win community approval of a budget. with or without changes.  If a district loses two budget votes, the district must adopt a state-imposed contingency budget, freezing the tax levy at this year's amount.

In ERCSD's Ward 1, Eric Young-Mercer won as trustee with 278 votes. In Ward 4, incumbent Shimon Rose won with 219. Moses Koth won in Ward 7 with 86 votes.

Voters in Clarkstown cast votes in a highly contested election, voting on six new of the Clarkstown Board of Education while deciding on the school board's proposed budget for 2024-25. The Clarkstown school board race was particularly contentious, with six people running for three seats. 

The winners of that race were Tammy Bierker, who ran on a slate with Jason Bass and Yelena Glukhova of "parental rights." Tamara Bierker received 3,440 votes, Jason Bass got 3,250 votes, and Yelena Glukhova won with 3,113 votes. 

Voters approved a 2024-2025 budget of $253,179,418 by a wide margin of 72%, voting 4,234 to 1,623. Proposition 2 passed as well by 4,611-1,218. authorizing the district to spend $1.198 million from the School District's Capital Reserve Fund 2018 and $817,461 from the School District's Capital Reserve Fund 2020. The authorization request will fund the balance of floor tile replacement and abatement for Felix Festa Middle School and replace Clarkstown High School North and Clarkstown High School South's Safety-Security Public Announcement systems.

Suffern Central School District voters approved the budget by 2,718 votes and re-elected three incumbents to the school board. Trustee Jennifer Hodge won with 2,674, Marlo Dickman received 2,506 votes, and Darrell Frasier won with 2,340 votes.

Nyack's budget passed with 1,221 to 291 votes. Elaine Philhower won a position on the school board with 935 votes, and Bryan Burrell won with 672 votes.