One day after the public passed the Southold Union Free School District’s 2014-2015 budget by a wide margin of 514-186, members of the board of education lamented the historically low voter turnout.
“It’s terrible that only 700 people came out for a $28 million budget. This apathy, or whatever it is, is shameful,” said BOE member Scott Latham.
“It is,” agreed BOE president Paulette Ofrias. “It’s the lowest turnout in years that we have reported.”
Southold School Superintendent David Gamberg, Ofrias and other board members thanked the community that did show up to support the budget.
Outgoing BOE member Scott DeSimone said he agreed with Latham about poor voter showing. “Turnout was low in a lot of districts and it’s disheartening, disturbing — and quite shocking, quite honestly.”
Thanking the public who did show up at the polls, BOE member Judi Fouchet said Gamberg and the rest of the districts administrators and staff worked very hard. “Our motto has been both educationally and fiscally responsible and I think we hit that,” she said.
She said she shared her fellow board members’ sentiment on the low turnout. “Parents who did not come out and vote really need to think about being more involved in what’s going on. Your vote matters.”
Ofrias agreed, and thanked the senior citizens who’d supported the budget. “Somebody said to me on the day of the vote, ‘I’m really worried. All I saw were people with walkers and canes,'” she said. “And I said, ‘I am so thankful, because if it weren’t for the seniors voting ‘yes’, we know the budget would not have passed.’ That’s why we try so hard to be cognizant of the fact of how strapped, not just seniors, but everyone is.”
She added, “I would beseech parents not to take it for granted. I think this low turnout is showing apathy, and taking a lot for granted. But their children had so much to lose, if this budget had not passed, and I don’t know if they get that.”‘
