Oyster Bay-East Norwich School District’s budget passes

The Oyster Bay-East Norwich Central School District’s 2020-21 budget of roughly $60 million passed last night. The budget garnered 1,787 votes of yes, with 1,043 residents voting no. All of the propositions passed, and Darren Gerbosi won the trustee race.  

With the passage of the budget, students will enjoy a new orchestra program at Vernon School, a full-time fourth-grade teacher will be hired as well as a part-time high school science teacher. The Mandarin language will also be offered.

Proposition 2, the technology reserve fund projects, was approved by a wide margin of 2,069. It gives the green light to release existing funds from the Technology Reserve Fund for technology-related projects. Residents saw the need for incoming students in grades six, seven, 11 and 12 to have mobile devices, which they will now receive as a result of the proposition’s passage. And this will come at no cost to taxpayers.

Proposition 3 was also popular among voters, with 2,002 voting yes. Money from the Capital Reserve Fund, will improve the two playground surfaces at Vernon, that will be replaced and much needed air conditioning will be installed in the high school gym. This comes also at no cost to taxpayers.

Additionally, the library budget passed by a wide margin of 1,991 to 800.

Darren Gerbosi, the managing director of sales for the Wealth Management Division at Fidelity National Information Services Inc., will replace Robin Dando, who gave 25 years of her life to the school board. A consummate volunteer, Gerbosi, who is the president of  Little League and currently a vice president of the elementary school’s PTA, said he is committed to significant curriculum changes, particularly in the area of technology.