(Editor's Note: Due to the Garden City Life's deadline and production schedule, budget vote results will appear in next week's issue.)

Residents took to the polls this past Tuesday, May 18, to vote Garden City's 2004-2005 school budget up or down. According to John Powell, assistant superintendent for business and finance, this district is one of the lower percentage increases on Long Island, budget to budget.

Garden City's $76,061,612 budget carries an increase over the current budget of 6.95 percent and a tax levy to tax levy increase of 6.79 percent. Nassau County's average budget increase is 7.57 percent with a tax levy to tax levy increase of 8.95 percent. Garden City is below both county averages, he noted.

According to Board President Kenneth Monaghan, the increase is greater than hoped for, but the board is looking to see if any additional funds at the end of the school year might be able to reinstate cuts made, particularly in the science program, junior varsity B athletic teams and in middle school athletic teams. "At that point, we'll re-evaluate and see if whether or not we have the financial wherewithal to reinstate any of them."

A statement read on behalf of the PTA said, "We do realize the constraints that the school district has operated under while preparing this budget and we encourage the implementation or retention of existing middle school teams, as well as all B teams at the high school level."

- Michael Rehak