School District Voting

Several contested races will be on the ballot when annual voting for school board members and district budgets takes place on Tuesday. Would that there were more challengers; the status quo isn’t apt to result in a fresh look for a solution to the growing inequities between rich and poor districts, and new blood might speed the way. 

That said, in the case of the East Hampton School Board, there is actually only one challenger, Alison Anderson, a former board member who now wants another term. She declined to answer a reporter’s questions about her goals and instead sent a prepared statement, which raised our doubts about her intentions. Instead, three incumbents, J.P. Foster, Richard Wilson, and Wendy Geehreng, should be re-elected.

Springs has two seats in play, with one board member seeking to return: Adam Wilson. The newcomers are Amy Rivera and David Conlon. Our endorsements go to Ms. Rivera, who works in the East Hampton Town tax receiver’s office, and Mr. Conlon, a seasoned professional and member of the district’s facilities committee. Mr. Wilson has never tried to offer much as a board member, from what we have been able to observe.

There is a real race on in Sag Harbor, with four qualified candidates battling for two board seats. Roxanne Briggs, who is a parent and businesswoman and who was once a member of the board at the Hampton Day School, and Susan Lamontagne, a marketing consultant and former press secretary for Senator Arlen Specter, are seeking seats. Susan Kinsella, who is now the school board president, and Chris Tice, its vice president, hope to remain on the board. Between the two challengers, we liked most what Ms. Lamontagne had to say, especially about the board’s questionable closed-door sessions when it was batting ideas around about whether to try to buy the former Stella Maris School. Her shake-it-up attitude would be welcome. Ms. Tice has made positive contributions on the board and seems to make her decisions in a reasoned way. Our endorsements go to Ms. Lamontagne and Ms. Tice.

In Montauk, Patti Leber, the board vice president, should be returned to the board, and Tom Flight, a business owner with corporate strategy experience, would be an excellent addition.

The elections in Amagansett, Bridgehampton, Sagaponack, and Wainscott are uncontested.

As to the budget votes, the Springs board and administration did everything they could to stay within the tax levy increase limit, and the spending plan proposed should be approved in recognition of that effort. 

Bridgehampton is asking voters to okay exceeding the cap, which would add about $117 a year in taxes to a $2.5 million property. While it is not clear that the board and administration did enough to hold the line, it is difficult to suggest a no vote, which would have serious consequences. Amagansett also hopes to be able to pierce the cap, but by a small amount, which appears justified, though its budget process was poorly explained to voters.

The annual school district meetings next week are one of the rare times that taxpayers get to actually vote on budgets. With the presidential election stirring things up, we expect good turnouts.