Last week the residents of the Mineola School District approved a $57,488,644 operating budget for the 2001-2002 school year. The budget passed by a margin of 841-765. As a result, residents can expect a school tax increase of $3.88 per $100 of assessed valuation. However, district officials believe they now have the funds to make some of the needed repairs in the schools.

By comparison, last year, residents voted by a 903 to 799 margin in favor of a 2000-2001 budget that reflected a $2.86 per $100 of assessed valuation tax increase.

The passing of the 2001-2002 school year operating budget last week will allow the district to complete phase one of a two phase window replacement project at the Meadow Drive School, an expanded and renovated library at Mineola High School and the installation of a fire safety system at the Jackson Avenue School will be completed.

In addition, the district will also be purchasing four new buses and adding 6.6 new professional positions, which mainly deal with special education.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Harry Jaroslaw expressed his satisfaction that the budget passed. "The passing of this budget will permit us to continue, among other things, taking care of badly needed repairs and renovations to the buildings in our school district," he said. "It will also permit us to have a state of the art library/media center in the high school to replace the original one that was built in 1961."

In the race for the seat on the Mineola Board of Education currently belonging to John McGrath, Donna Strein defeated Mr. McGrath by a 825 to 737 margin.

Mrs. Strein will therefore join a board comprised of Dennis Mortensen, RoseAnn Buglione, Gia Lynn Hall and Stephen Siwinski. Mrs. Strein, who would frequently raise concerns and ask questions, said she is looking forward to being on the board.

Mrs. Strein said running for the board was quite an emotional roller coaster. It took three days after the election for the victory to finally sink in. "I'm kind of glad that part is over with," she said.

Mrs. Strein views serving on the board as a challenge, especially now with all the changes in store for the district, which will soon hire a new superintendent and will see the construction projects approved in last year's bond referendum come to fruition.

"We are definitely a district that is changing. You have to keep your hands on a lot of it," she said.

Although her role in the education process may change, Mrs. Strein said she will continue to have the same concerns she did as when she sat in the audience at board meetings and actively participated in the PTA. "It's just looking at it from a slightly different angle. I don't really expect it to be that much different," she said.

Much of Mrs. Strein's message prior to the election centered on communication as she tried to make it clear that she will be available to all aspects of the district and will discuss any subject that may cause concern. "I'm the same person in the jeans and a T-shirt in the summer on the fields as I am walking around in my Mineola sweat shirts," she said. "I want people to talk to me because I can't know everything."

Mrs. Strein will take over for Mr McGrath, who is a well-respected member of the board. Among some of the board's accomplishments during Mr. McGrath's tenure on the board was the passing of a bond referendum that will update technology in the district as well as construct a new school at the Willis Avenue site.