SD #15 Preliminary Vote Results
Update: Final numbers have been updated below.
According to sources, the following are thepreliminary final results (pending the counting of absentee ballots):
School Board Race
Kaufman (4,691 4,882) vs. Rizzo (4,289 4,300): Kaufman wins
Hatten (5,179 5,365) vs. Brooks (3,667 3673): Hatten wins
Budget Vote
Proposition 1: Yes (3,569 3,580), No (4,406 4,587) - Failed
Proposition 2 (Capital Reserve Fund): Yes (3,368 3,369), No (4,147 4,316) - Failed
Proposition 3 (Library budget): Yes (5,159), No (2,317) Passed
Background posts: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIII
According to sources, the following are the
School Board Race
Kaufman (
Hatten (
Budget Vote
Proposition 1: Yes (
Proposition 2 (Capital Reserve Fund): Yes (
Proposition 3 (Library budget): Yes (5,159), No (2,317) Passed
Background posts: I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIII
posted by orthomom at 12:11 AM
49 Comments:
First!
Ooooh. This post's gonna get a lot of hits.
Wow. Wide margin.
Well done...this was the most organized effort this neighborhood has ever seen....
Wow. I was very impressed with the get out the vote efforts and other electioneering, but I didn't think we'd be this successful, especially in a year where it seems most budgets are passing (like SD 14). One example: The Hatten/Kaufman signs which were all over Central avenue and the rest of Lawrence/Cedarhurst were brightly colored and easy to read. The othe guys signs were small dark blue print on a plain white background - not very eye catching.
Hopefully we can keep up this kind of turnout in future years to keep our guys in power
Hey, thanks OM. I knew I would find the results here. You did a great job on the election coverage, by the way. Especially looking at all your posts lined up like that. That's a lot of posts.
For the somewhat uninitiated: what were propositions 1 and 3? (Did the good guys win on those?)
Proposition 1 was the actual budget vote. Proposition 3 was the library budget, which I think just about everyone around here said they were going to support.
Odd... The News12 site (http://videos.news12.com/LI_SchoolVote2006/SchoolVote2006.htm)
has The Budget passing 6,580 - 4,587
Nevermind the above was a typo on the site - final count was 3,850-4,587
"Wow. I was very impressed with the get out the vote efforts and other electioneering, but I didn't think we'd be this successful, especially in a year where it seems most budgets are passing (like SD 14)."
SD 14 is about 10 % Ortho. SD 15 about 50% Ortho. Total private school pupulation including Catholic schools SD 14 about 15%-SD 15-more than 50%. Explanation for why 14 passed and 15 failed. Nothing to do either side with cost effectiveness. Note SD 14 has for the past few years requested and received budget approval for a greater amount than SD 15 has requested and lost. It is ALL demographics.
Disappointed, but not surprised. However, I don't understand why proposition #2 would be voted down. The schools are in dire need of capital improvements. The high school auditorium is unsafe to use. Leaks permeate the ceilings of the buildings. Kids have to circumnavigate around garbage cans catching rainfall through the roof during hall passing. Vote against the budget, vote for your candidates, fine. But why not allow the existing buildings to be fixed? (not including one's that may be sold in the future, such as the high school)
Why? Because they don't care about our the education our children get or their safety!
My money is on the closing of #4 by the end of the summer.
As the wise man (or woman) once said "Be careful what you wish for, you may actually get it". Okay Orthomom and the rest of the private school parents, you got what you wished for. You now have fair representation on the board. As Hamas (and I am not comparing you to Hamas) has found out, being in power is not everything it is cooked up to be. You now have to worry about a budget passing. You now have to produce for all of the children, particularly after running on a platform of inclusivity. The fact is, I even voted for one of your candidates (Michael Hatten) and not because he is Orthodox, but because I thought he was well qualified. I happen to know that other public school parents voted for one or more of your candidates. If budgets continue to fail, and you have your first shot at the re-vote, it then becomes clear that this was purely economic and had nothing to do with inclusion. At that point you are all going to be branded as a bunch of hypocrites.
We already know that many of the remaining eldery and retired in this area are hypocrites. These are the people who sent their kids to the public schools and would have killed or otherwise maimed other parents if they voted against the budget. But now that their kids are grown and are no longer in the district they do not care and do not want to pay the taxes. Yet, it was their policies that actually created some of the current problems. Shame on you! And by the way, why do the Private school parents think that up until now, their candidates have been having trouble getting elected? Because the elderly were voting for the Public School candidates but against the budget. This year, many of the Public School parents felt the way I did, give you your chance, so some of us voted for your candidates. I will tell you that Michael Hatten probably would have won anyway, not so for Uri Kauffman, who needed our support, despite your large get out the vote effort.
So now you have it, go to it. Good luck and G-d bless, I hope you succeed. Just a warning, I and the rest of us upper middle and upper class professionals who send our kids to public schools, will be watching and waiting. I intend to give you a couple of years and if the schools do not improve or services to our kids continue to decrease, we will leave. As I said before, we are the glue that holds this community together.
By the way, you can call me SecularDad and you will be hearing a lot from me over the next couple of years about the school district and other issues.
Good post securlardad. Budget re-vote? I would bet this is not going to happen.
It is strictly an economic hidden behind this thin vail of public innuendo.
Voting down proposition 2 supports this. I still can not understand the benefit of voting this down!?!?
SD 14 is about 10 % Ortho. SD 15 about 50% Ortho. Total private school pupulation including Catholic schools SD 14 about 15%-SD 15-more than 50%. Explanation for why 14 passed and 15 failed. Nothing to do either side with cost effectiveness. Note SD 14 has for the past few years requested and received budget approval for a greater amount than SD 15 has requested and lost. It is ALL demographics.
How does that explain the other budgets that have been defeated in other districts? It's hard to blame solely the Orthodox when there are other districts with completely different demographics who have clearly lost faith with their boards as well.
Anonymous said...
Why? Because they don't care about our the education our children get or their safety!
My money is on the closing of #4 by the end of the summer.
Uh, yeah. Mine too. You know why I am betting that another school is going to be closed? Because Superintendent Fitzsimons said as much! He said that the schools are underutilized, and that another one will have to be closed. So I'm not sure how if that comes to bear, it will then be blamed on the Orthodox.
Mycroft, you are dead wrong. The SD 15 electorate is overwhelmingly non-Orthodox (the student population, on the other hand, is another matter). This was about motivation and organization more than demographics.
SecularDad, we appreciate your concern, but we'll be fine. Leave the handwringing to us.
It is strictly an economic hidden behind this thin vail of public innuendo.
Voting down proposition 2 supports this. I still can not understand the benefit of voting this down!?!?
Of course voting down these budgets was about economics. Who on earth ever said it wasn't? The school board has lost the trust of the majority of the district. This is not a dissimilar situation to what ocurred yesterday in other districts across Long Island. It isn't about demographics - if it were, how would you explain that other districts without sizeable Orthodox populations gave their budget the same treatment?
And regarding the capital reserve proposition, this wasn't simply about making a certain amount of funds available for capital improvements, this was about freeing up the use the sizable proceeds of the #1 school in a manner that voters just didn't trust the board to do. If you feel that Prop 2 was a such a slam-dunk, where was the education campaign telling ALL of the voters of the importance of it? Oh, that's right. There wasn't any. Fitzsimons was too busy telling the Orthodox community which local spokesman he felt should be speaking for them, or chastising the community for not following his erroneous definition of the hebrew word "Tikkun Olam", all while he made sure that the pro-budget literature and flyers went only to the Public School community. Well, guess what? He failed you!
tough blog to read, the small white typeface on a dark blue background. Too bad. I would have liked to explore it further.
SD 15 about 50% Ortho.
Oh, and by the way, mycroft? That is not a correct number. The Orthodox represent less than 50% of the district, and quite a bit less.
Anonymous said...
tough blog to read, the small white typeface on a dark blue background. Too bad. I would have liked to explore it further.
8:28 AM
Sorry. You can increase the type size in your browser menu.
It has been said that the US vs THEM phraseology wasn't created by the supporters of this blog yet the first few posts consider the US (orthodox) as WINNING and going against THEM and beating THEM more often. How dare a school board member and his wife advise people to vote down a school budget. Your candidates are liars, FOR ALL OUR CHILDREN? I think not, for all YOUR children. You don't give a hoot about ALL the children.
Sorry Anonymous, can't do that. It is time to become pro-active. For too long, I have sat back and watched the state of our schools decay. As I have two kids in this school ditrict, this was my failing. At the same time I have listened to the bulls--t being spewed out by both sides of this issue. First of all, let's get the facts straight. SD15 is not overwhelmingly Orthodox nor is it overwhelmingly nonOrthodox (if there is such a word). I can not recall where I saw the figures but the last approximation in 2000 was roughly 30%. Allowing for growth this would put the current orthodox population somewhere between 35-40% and I tend to err on the conservative side so let's make it 40%. Now I hate just throwing out numbers without a reference but I simply can not remember where I saw these figures, so much for being past 50.
The point is the Orthodox and other non-Public school familes do make up a significant portion of the population. Since this is a PUBLIC school district and they are paying taxes they are entitled to certain services and representation on the Board. True, the decision to send their kids to private school was their own. Nonetheless they are entitled to a say in matters. That's why I and a number of parents have felt, let them have it (I hate this us vs them mentality, we really need to get away from this) and let's see if they can do any better. As I said "Be careful, what you get what you wish for".
SecularDad is right. Let's give the new board a chance. If they fail the students then they can be voted out and replaced. That is the essence of democracy. People did vote with theire wallets, it has been that way since the Boston Tea Party and the Stamp Act.
"What A Country"!
and maybe, just maybe, some new blood can get past this Hatfield/McCoy mentality we've sadly allowed to develop here in the district.
"This is not a dissimilar situation to what ocurred yesterday in other districts across Long Island. It isn't about demographics - if it were, how would you explain that other districts without sizeable Orthodox populations gave their budget the same treatment?"
Mom, only 6 out of about 56 Nassau districs voted down the budgets most of those being higher proposed increases or background 'issues' already in play (i.e. prior fraud). I would say that demographics most definitely played a part in 15.
I would say that demographics most definitely played a part in 15.
You are correct - should have read "this is not ONLY about demographics".
I love that some of you say you've lived in this district awhile. Who cares? You are not THIS district you are not invested in it you are here to GET YOURS. When you have lived here for 20 years get back to me. The two candidates that lost are life long residents, you elected someone who has been here 3 years. Please, no investment in ALL THE CHILDREN, just your own. The closest district in miles that also failed was West Hempstead, same problem brewing.
Anonymous said...
I love that some of you say you've lived in this district awhile. Who cares? You are not THIS district you are not invested in it you are here to GET YOURS. When you have lived here for 20 years get back to me. The two candidates that lost are life long residents, you elected someone who has been here 3 years. Please, no investment in ALL THE CHILDREN, just your own. The closest district in miles that also failed was West Hempstead, same problem brewing.
Wow. Where do I start with this?
First: I can guarantee that many district resident who voted down the budget and voted in the winning candidates have been here for far longer than you suggest.
Second: The premise is absurd. There is no "carpetbagging" clause. People can reside in a locale for a day and be eligible to run for office. Of course, there's always the possibilty that voters will resent the newcomer and not vote for him. Clearly, that was not the case here.
Third: West Hempstead's situation is neither here nor there in this argument. First, the argument was that the Orthodox are the root for the failing of budgets. When so many commenters pointed out that MANY districts on Long Island had their budgets fail yesterday, the argument changes to "Only school districts in a certain radius vote down budgets because they have Orthodox voters". Enough. You embarass yourself with your faulty logic, and your thinly veiled bigoted sentiments.
Anonymous said...
I love that some of you say you've lived in this district awhile. Who cares? You are not THIS district you are not invested in it you are here to GET YOURS. When you have lived here for 20 years get back to me. The two candidates that lost are life long residents, you elected someone who has been here 3 years. Please, no investment in ALL THE CHILDREN, just your own. The closest district in miles that also failed was West Hempstead, same problem brewing.
Didn't you mean to say... (italicized phrases my additions):
"I love that some of you say you have sent your kids to public school and lived in this district awhile. Who cares? You are not THIS district you are not invested in it you are here to GET YOURS. The two candidates that lost are life long non-Orthodox public school parents who also happen to be residents. Please, no investment in ALL THE CHILDREN, just your own. The closest district in miles that also failed was West Hempstead, same problem of Orthodox residents who erroneously think they are entitled to the Democratic process brewing.
Disappointed, but not surprised. However, I don't understand why proposition #2 would be voted down. The schools are in dire need of capital improvements. The high school auditorium is unsafe to use. Leaks permeate the ceilings of the buildings. Kids have to circumnavigate around garbage cans catching rainfall through the roof during hall passing. Vote against the budget, vote for your candidates, fine. But why not allow the existing buildings to be fixed? (not including one's that may be sold in the future, such as the high school)
You're absolutely right about the school needing repairs, but there is ample money in the existing budget to do that if the funds weren't being completely mismanaged. That's exactly why the old board needed a change.
secular dad,
that explains the hatten large numbers.
I chalked it up to his name being michael and brooks name being michael.
The pro public school voters did not get enough education on which michael to vote for.
Yeah, before I run next year, I'm changing my name to David Sussman.
SecularDad said....
So now you have it, go to it. Good luck and G-d bless, I hope you succeed. Just a warning, I and the rest of us upper middle and upper class professionals who send our kids to public schools, will be watching and waiting. I intend to give you a couple of years and if the schools do not improve or services to our kids continue to decrease, we will leave. As I said before, we are the glue that holds this community together.
i for one intend to vote to pass the budget as soon as the mismanagement stops. i did not vote for hatten and kaufman for their religious observances...i voted for them because they are fresh faces and may be able to change something that has not been
changed until this point. I for one thank you for granting a couple years, or even just one year for the new trustees to adjust and try to implement reform.
I love that some of you say you've lived in this district awhile. Who cares? You are not THIS district you are not invested in it you are here to GET YOURS. When you have lived here for 20 years get back to me.
-- I have lived in this neighborhood for almost 30 years, so I guess I fit in within Anon's guidelines and while I know one of the "lifelong resident" candidates, I would say that the blame falls entirely on the Public School population for losing. First, with all due respect to Tom and Mike, they did not have the experience nor did they have the origanization skills that Hatten and Kaufman demonstrated. Second, for years, the Public School system has been squandering our hard earned tax dollars.
I will say this, as a Private School Parent, I am very curious to see if the new board will be able to effectuate any change or if this is all a lot of hot air. Lets hope that this is not like the Federal Governement Elections where there is a ton of retoric and then the electors forget their platofrms upon taking the oath of office.
Lastly, whether you are a private school or public school parent, please bury the hatchet. I think people quickly forget that the issue is the future of all of our children and not a rivalry between the Private and Public School parent body. Good luck to Uri and Mike and PLEASE do us proud.
Another point that has never been discussed during the campaign: Did anyone consider that Rizzo lost because people who had to deal with him in the building department thought he was a very difficult person? People already had the experiece of working with him on their projects have told me that he is a very difficult person and a real pencil-pushing type. Let's not ignore all the evidence here.
Rizzo didn't have a shot with the Lawrence demographics regardless - and his dynamite personality couldn't have done him much good elsewhere either.
Mrs. Mansdorf, please tell us what the kids in the public schools are up to these days. Please, we long to hear from your mouth what you actually know about the children you and your husband say you represent. When was the last time your husband made himself known to the public school students? When was the last time you and your husband as a family attend an event for the public school children.
If you all don't mind I'll wait and see if Mr. Hatten puts his body where his words are. If he's looking to make a change let him spend some time in the building and maybe he can bring along the other board members who seem to have forgotten the location of the schools they are supposedly representing.
Well, that certainly doesn't warrant a response
"Did anyone consider that Rizzo lost because people who had to deal with him in the building department thought he was a very difficult person?"
Did anyone consider that Rizzo and Brooks lost because Hatten and Kaufman pulled off an awesome election campaign?
"How does that explain the other budgets that have been defeated in other districts? It's hard to blame solely the Orthodox when there are other districts with completely different demographics who have clearly lost faith with their boards as well. "
I believe Hempstead was the only district in Nassau with a lower budget increase that got defeated.
"blame solely the Orthodox"
I don't nlame people for voting against a budget or do I blame people who vote for a budget. There is nothing wrongin voting your self interest-just don't be a hypocrite about the reasons.
"When so many commenters pointed out that MANY districts on Long Island had their budgets fail yesterday"
Apparently fewer than last year voted down the school budgets. I doubt there is any district on LI that comes close to the budget rejections that 15 does.
I too extend my profound thanks to each and every person who worked so hard for so long to help Tom Rizzo and me. This is community at its very best. This is people at their very best.
The private school sector continues to grow in population and it will become even more difficult in the future to run against their voting block until they themselves realize the lies and mistruths their leadership have been feeding them.
I also believe that in not too many years the middle class working of the private sector will have no choice but to consider placing their children into our ( and their) public schools. They are getting hit with tuition increases each year. It beyond their affordability
Life teaches that what goes around comes around. I don't think our opposition won last night. I think that they have seriously painted themselves into a corner. All of the "we will clean up the public school budget yada yada" is going to come back and kick them right in the butt. Who will be to blame but themselves. Its a bit more difficult when the only finger you can point is at yourself. Its called self distruct.
Lets take this as we lost the battle. Lets see if we might not win the war.
Again, my most heartfelt thanks and gratitude to you all.
Fondly, Michael Brooks
"war"? is he joking?
If that's really by Michael Brooks, it's a damn good thing he lost the election (lost, being an understatement). No one with such divisive sentiments should ever hold public office.
duh...it's not Michael Brooks.
"I also believe that in not too many years the middle class working of the private sector will have no choice but to consider placing their children into our ( and their) public schools."
Um... Jonathan Isler aside, this will never happen in any significant numbers in a large Orthodox community. This statement belies a complete misubderstanding of what drives religious parents to keep their kids out of public schools - they are not seen by almost anyone as a possible alternative no matter the hardship.
That was the letter Brooks sent to all his constituents
You're absolutely right about the school needing repairs, but there is ample money in the existing budget to do that if the funds weren't being completely mismanaged. That's exactly why the old board needed a change.
First of all, whoever said there is ample money in the budget for capital improvements obviously knows absolutely nothing about the budget and cannot possibly make such a statement and think we could take this seriouly. There is not enough money to pay for the millions of dollars of repairs needed to keep the buildings from soon being unsafe. I only hope there is never a disaster where children (and employees) are hurt by the deteriorating buildings. I am so tired of people making irresponsible statements with no evidence to back it up. And too many people buy it. Second, everyone keeps talking about the "old board" will finally get the change that it needs and now there is the "new board". Well, remember, everyone, that the "new board" will still have five members who are still from the the "old board". Who are these people? One Othodox member already on the board (the "old board") votes against everything, and I mean everything, that has anything to do with helping ANY CHILDREN... whether they are in public or private schools. Another, a non Orthodox member, has been on the board for thousands of years and had everything to do, more than any other board member, with the fiscal masmangaement of the schools. The only reason he is on the board is for his own self serving purposes. But he always votes with the Orthodox members because he knows the public schools parents are wise to his ways and they will never vote for him....he can only get votes from the Orthodox and residents who no longer have anything to do with the schools and who don't really know how damaging he has been to the school system. Orthodox parents will catch on and get wise to him soon enough. Another "old" Board member feels that it is his G-d given duty to listen to and advocate for any Orthodox parent who does not like something, anything, about the public schools. But what about the non Orthodox parents who may need advocacy? He certainly doesn't care about them and never advocates for any non Orthodox students. So he's not one of those board mebers who will care about ALL students. Everyone will soon see that this NEW board will still fall prey to the same POLITICS of the past, because politics is what they really are interested in...not the education of ALL our our children no matter where they go to school.
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