Five of Six Putnam School Systems Get Budgets Approved

While the Brewster school system couldn’t get its proposed budget approved last Tuesday, the other five school systems in Putnam County easily saw their budgets signed off.

In Carmel, the school district’s budget was approved 678-554 and incumbent board members Richard Kreps and Michelle Yorio were reelected, fending off a challenge from Dennis Illuminate, a former Kent councilman. Yorio was the top voter getter with 826 and Kreps beat out Illuminate 715-559.

At the Mahopac school system, the voters approved both the budget (912- 394) and the bus purchase proposition (866-433). Lawrence Keane, Penny Swift, and David Furfaro were all elected to the school board with 823, 813, and 712 votes, respectively, out of five candidates.

Haldane school system voters approved the budget easily 471-142, as well as a school bus purchase proposition 446- 166 and facilities improvement reserve fund 488-124. Elected to the school board were current member Margaret Parr and newcomer John Hedlund, beating out three other candidates.

The Putnam Valley school district’s budget was approved, although results were delayed due to last Tuesday’s massive storm. With power outages throughout Putnam Valley, results weren’t tallied until Thursday. The final result was an approved budget 351-178 and an approved bus purchase proposition 328-196. Incumbent board member Guy Cohen and newcomer Barbara Parmly, running uncontested, were elected to the school board.

The Garrison school budget passed with ease 71-32 and the three current board members up for reelection, but running uncontested, Raymond O’Rourke, David Gelber, and James Hoch, retained their seats.