School Budgets Approved; Olszewski, Beaty Victorious in Mt. Pleasant
Budgets were approved Tuesday night throughout Westchester and incumbents were re-elected in the area’s contested Board of Education races.
Many districts were slow in reporting results with all voting done through absentee ballots this year because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Mount Pleasant, one of the districts to delay reporting their outcomes until Wednesday, had its $65.4 million budget approved 1,648-1,148. Meanwhile, Board Vice President Laura Michalec Olszewski and Trustee Sara Beaty held onto their seats over former trustee Thomas McCabe. Olszewski picked up 1,758 votes to Beaty’s 1,577. McCabe trailed the field with 1,369.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kurtis Kotes informed the community that the results would be delayed until Wednesday afternoon. He did not give an explanation for the delay.
In Bedford, Chappaqua and Pleasantville, the budgets all passed easily.
Chappaqua Board of Education incumbents Jane Shepardson, the current president, and Trustee Victoria Tipp comfortably won re-election. Shepardson earned a second term by collecting 1,923 votes followed by Tipp with 1,743. Tipp will serve for a fourth term. They were followed by Deborah Smith (1,140), Jeffrey Mester (890) and Joshua Shapiro (534).
The $128.2 million budget in Chappaqua was approved 2,668-879.
Pleasantville Board of Education President Angela Vella was re-elected to serve a third term, picking up 1,379 votes, while Jill Grossman won the second seat with 1,224. John Vamossy (913) and Carmel Promisel (866) rounded out the results.
The $52.7 million budget was easily passed by voters, 1,828-468.
The Byram Hills School District budget for 2020-21 also passed by a count of 1,586-600.
Voters approved Bedford’s $139.7 million budget by a 2,685-1,388 count. The two candidates on the ballot for the board election, Vice President Edward Reder and first-timer Alexandra White, ran unopposed.
Valhalla School District voters passed a $55.6 million budget, 881-390. Board incumbent Susan Martinez and first-time candidate Duane Smith were elected in an uncontested race.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/