Update: Election Workers: Turnout Has Been Light

Update 5:00 p.m.- As Patch continues polling voters, all who have been surveyed on Tuesday say that they support the budget and are voting yes.

Joe DeMarco, a fourteen-year Kings Park resident 14 years with one child in the school district says he supports the budget.

"I want the community to make decisions about what is best for our kids, not the state," he said.

Donna Cornwell who has tw children in district says she is happy with the current board and is supporting the budget.

"I support the budget every year. I love the new board. They care about the kids and they put up a good budget this year," said Cornwell.

Donna Bee has one child in the district and thought the administration did a good job preparing the budget.

"I thought this year's budget was incredibly thought out and Dr. Agruso and the Board of Education did a phenomenal job preserving programs for the children," said Bee.

Longtime resident Jack Hessel also believed that a strong effort was put into the budget."They put a lot of work into the budget. It seems to be reasonable considering the shortfalls of the economy." 

Karen Zdrojeski  who has two boys in the  district says she supports the budget. "I thought it was very reasonable compared to other districts." 

Though residents in the Kings Park School District were coming out to vote on the 2011-2012 school budget and board of election race Tuesday, poll workers said the turnout wouldn't break any records.

“It is lighter than last year,” said district assistant Judy Bishop. “There is no race this year,” she said referring to the board of education election where trustee Marie Goldstein is running uncontested.

“The weather is bad also,” she said.

Coincidentally, voters are also voting whether or not to use capital reserve funds to replace the roof at R.J.O., which school officials say has 50 leaks.

Still, the rain did not deter some residents this afternoon, such as Councilman Robert Creighton and wife Gerry who have grandchildren in the Kings Parks schools.

“I don’t think I have missed one budget vote in all the years we’ve been here,” said Creighton.

“We do what we are supposed to do as Americans,” said one couple that wished to go unnamed as their reason for coming out Tuesday to cast their vote.

All voters who were polled Tuesday afternoon said that they voted in favor of the budget.

“It is good for kids to have what they need,” said Mona who no longer has kids who attend school in the district.

Ro Letsch voted 'yes' because she believed that the district cannot make any more cuts.

“We cannot survive anymore losses, but compared to other districts we are in a better place,” she said.

Another couple said that they were in favor of the vote because they had a lot of family in education and that they were all Kings Park graduates.

Local resident Lisa said she came out to vote in favor of the budget.

“The school needs a new roof. Taxes should go towards the kids,” she said.