The proposed $86.14 million Mineola School District budget for 2013-14 passed by a nearly 2-1 margin in balloting on Tuesday and Patricia Navarra beat incumbent Irene Parrino handily in the race for Parrino’s school board seat.
The $86.14 million budget, a 2.56 percent increase over the current $83.99 million budget drew 1,110 votes in support with 638 votes against. The tax levy supporting the budget is projected to be $77.9 million, a 2.18 percent increase over the current $76.24 million levy.
“I’m very happy the community supported our budget. We look forward to continuing to be fiscally responsible and maintaining wonderful education programs in our district,” said Mineola Superintendent of Schools Michael Nagler.
The Navarra-Parrino contest reflected the margin of the budget approval, with the challenger drawing 933 votes to Parrino’s 684 votes. That result draw loud cheers from Navarra supporters gathered at the Jackson Avenue School when Nagler announced the result of the trustee race.
“I’m thrilled,” Navarra said. “I really didn’t know what to expect.”
A longtime PTA activist, Parrino said she’s had disagreements with all of the members of the board, but said “It’ll be fun to serve with them.”
“I’m disappointed,” Parrino said, but wished Navarra good luck.
“You have to respect what people want to do,” she said.
Will Hornberger, Mineola school board president, said he was “excited” the budget passed and was looking forward to Navarra’s “expertise” and “enthusiasm” working on the board.
Navarra is a professional educator who has been a professor at Hofstra University for the past 13 years.
Notwithstanding Parrino’s opposition to district consolidation plans he supported, Nagler said he had no difficulty working with Parrino.
“Contrary to popular opinion, we didn’t have a tumultuous relationship,” he said.
The contest between Navarra and Parrino revived memories of the protracted battle over consolidation of Mineola district schools in the face of a diminished school population.
Navarra and school board Trustee Artie Barnett co-founded P.E.A.C.E., People for Excellence, Affordability and Commitment to Education, a grassroots group which actively endorsed the school consolidation. Parrino and former school board ally John McGrath had actively opposed the consolidation as proposed by their fellow board members.
Navarra and Parrino continued to spar over the issue during the campaign.
Parrino had maintained she supported consolidation in concept but not the plans developed by the board, which Navarra challenged during the campaign.
“If you and Mr. McGrath had a plan, we’re still waiting to hear it,” Navarra said to Parrino at one candidates night before the election.
Parrino acknowledged that her opposition to the consolidation plan to lease the Cross Street and Willis Avenue Schools, which was ultimately adopted in a 3-2 school board vote, hadn’t changed.
“At this point, I don’t think I’d change my position,” Parrino said.
Prior to the election, Nagler had emphasized that the district had approved modest budget increases over the past several years and a $229,458 year-to-year decrease in the 2012-13 budget.
“We have been able to control our costs as we’ve going budget to budget every year,” Nagler had said during one pre-election budget discussion.
He said the district would reduce the tax levy in the 2013-14 budget by applying $250,000 in savings to be realized from deferred step increases in district teachers salaries negotiated as part of their new contract agreement with the school board.
Nagler said the Mineola School District has the fourth lowest average tax levy growth among Long Island school districts and would have the fifth lowest year-to-year increase for the 2013-14 tax levy under the proposed 2013-14 budget.
