Voter’s Guide: School Budgets, Board of Education Trustees Election Tuesday

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May 17, 2021

By Brianna Staudt—

Residents will vote to pass or reject 2021-22 school district budgets and elect board of education trustees tomorrow, Tuesday, May 18.

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All proposed local school budgets remain within the tax cap. No local board of education election attracted more trustee candidates than open positions.

Here’s a round-up of voters’ choices in each district.

Dobbs Ferry Union Free School District

The proposed budget is $49,029,234, which represents a 4.17% increase over last year’s budget. Dobbs Ferry school district residents’ tax rate would increase by about 2.25%.

Penny Sullivan-Nunes and Brooke Bass are running for two open DFUFSD Board of Education trustee positions. Neither candidate is an incumbent.

Residents vote at Dobbs Ferry High School in the gymnasium.

Irvington Union Free School District

The proposed budget is $66,361,700, a 2.8% increase over last year’s budget. Irvington residents’ tax rate would increase by 3.53%.

Two candidates are running for two open IUFSD Board of Education trustee positions. One, Beth Propper, is an incumbent. The other candidate is Susan Brunenavs.

Residents vote at Main Street School.

Union Free School District of the Tarrytowns

The proposed budget of $83,837,109 is a 2.8% increase over last year. Sleepy Hollow residents would see a 2.32% tax rate increase, while Tarrytown residents would see a 0.12% increase.

There are two special propositions on the ballot. One authorizes the district to purchase buses and other district vehicles as part of a multi-year plan to replace its aging fleet. The other reduces the transportation eligibility distance for students in grades 3–5 to 0.3 miles from 0.8 miles, which would align eligibility for all students K–5 and provide about 250 more students transportation to Washington Irving School at an annual cost of about $150,000.

Three candidates are running for three open TUFSD Board of Education trustee positions. One, Michelle DeFilippis, is an incumbent. The remaining candidates are Cecilia Gordon and Krista Barron. Gordon received a significant number of votes as a write-in candidate in last year’s election but did not win a seat.

Tarrytown residents vote in the Washington Irving School auditorium. Sleepy Hollow residents vote in the W. L. Morse School cafeteria.

Further voting details

Eligible voters are U.S. citizens aged 18 and older who are registered with the Westchester County Board of Elections and are not otherwise ineligible to vote. Voters must have lived in their school district for 30 days immediately preceding election day.

In-person voting takes place 7 a.m.–9 p.m. Any voter can request an absentee ballot from their district clerk by submitting a completed absentee ballot application. The completed absentee ballot must be returned to the clerk by 5 p.m. on Election Day.

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