In 2004, the West Hempstead School District saw its proposed budget fail in May of that year by a total of six votes. The board of education voted by a 6-1 majority to put the same budget back up for a second vote in June. The negative vote was cast by board member Vincent Trocchia. The West Hempstead School District saw its budget pass on the second try by a 1,138 to 775 margin.

Fast forward to 2006. The West Hempstead School budget failed by a 1,207 to 1,004 margin in May. The West Hempstead Board decided that it would put the same budget that failed last month back up for a second vote on June 20. The only trustee to vote against putting the same budget back up in front of voters was Vincent Trocchia. Perhaps that means good karma for proponents of the West Hempstead School budget.

The budget the West Hempstead School District is putting before voters calls for a 6.78 percent increase in spending over last year's budget. However, part of that increase in spending is due to a payment on the bond that was passed for the new West Hempstead Library. The bond payment is scheduled to be $652,465. Without the bond payment, the spending increase would have been 5.34 percent from the 2005-2006 budget.

The tax levy, which is the amount to be raised by taxes, would increase by 4.44 percent if the budget should pass the second time around.