Polling places, which are co-terminus with elementary school attendance zones, shed light into regional differences within one of Westchester County's largest school districts by land area.
Results show that the budget's largest margins of support came in the Mount Kisco Elementary School (MKES), West Patent Elementary School (WPES) and Bedford Hills Elementary School (BHES) zones. The budget passed by much narrower margins in the Bedford Village Elementary School (BVES) and Pound Ridge Elementary School (PRES) zones. In the case of BVES, the approval was by just one vote.
The budget, which required a 60-percent supermajority to pass because it involved overriding the state-mandated tax cap, failed because it only received a simple majority of 58.78 percent.
The MKES zone encompasses large sections of the Mount Kisco and part of Bedford Corners, while the WPES zone encompasses parts of Mount Kisco, Bedford Hills, Bedford Corners and New Castle. The BHES zone encompasses much of Bedford Hills, while the BVES zone covers Bedford Village and North Castle. The PRES zone encompasses Pound Ridge and small parts of Bedford Village.
The strongest show of support for budgets in recent years has come from the three western polling places while the weakest has come from the two eastern polling places.
Data also show that the board ticket comprised of incumbent Michael Solomon, and challengers Pam Harney and Michelle Brooks, performed the strongest in BVES and PRES. Incumbents Suzanne Grant and Jennifer Gerken, who ran on their own ticket performed the strongest in MKES and WPES, while being close in BHES. Challenger Beth Staropoli, who ran alone but had some overlap in supporters from Grant and Gerken, won in the three western zones while losing in the two eastern zones.
Solomon is part of a 3-member board faction that voted against sending the proposed budget to the voters and has challenged the district administration during the process to shape it. He sought to unseat Gerken and Grant, who are part of a 4-member faction that approved putting the budget up for a vote and has more frequently sided with the administration.
Solomon sought to add a 5-2 majority on the board by getting Brooks and Harney elected.
Brian Sheerin, who is part of Solomon's faction, won his seat last year by carrying the BVES and PRES zones over opponent Justine Marous. Sheerin won by a large margin in the latter and by a narrow margin in the former. In contrast, Sheerin lost in MKES, WPES and BHES zones but not by blow-out margins. The budget's narrowest margin of approval last year was in the PRES zone.
Following are the results for the budget and board seats by elementary zone:
BUDGET:
MKES:
Yes - 634
No - 267
Total Votes - 901
BHES:
Yes - 392
No - 281
Total Votes - 673
PRES:
Yes - 561
No - 508
Total Votes - 1,069
WPES:
Yes - 447
No - 203
Total Votes - 650
BVES:
Yes - 563
No - 562
Total Votes - 1,125
GRAND TOTAL:
Yes - 2,597
No - 1,821
Total Votes - 4,418
SEAT CURRENTLY HELD BY GERKEN:
MKES:
Gerken - 569
Brooks - 278
Total Votes - 847
BHES:
Gerken - 310
Brooks - 338
Total Votes - 648
PRES:
Gerken - 409
Brooks - 606
Total Votes - 1,015
WPES:
Gerken - 369
Brooks - 246
Write-ins - 2
Total Votes - 617
BVES:
Gerken - 390
Brooks - 701
Write-in - 1
Total Votes - 1,092
GRAND TOTAL:
Gerken - 2,047
Brooks - 2,169
Write-ins - 3 Write-ins,
Total Votes - 4,219
SEAT CURRENTLY HELD BY GRANT:
MKES:
Harney - 261
Grant - 592
Total Votes - 853
BHES:
Harney - 318
Grant - 327
Total Votes - 645
PRES:
Harney - 630
Grant - 386
Total Votes - 1,016
WPES:
Harney - 242
Grant - 365
Write-ins - 2
Total Votes - 609
BVES:
Harney - 698
Grant - 381
Write-ins - 3
Total Votes - 1,082
GRAND TOTAL:
Harney - 2,149
Grant - 2,051
Write-ins - 5
Total Votes - 4,205
SEAT CURRENTLY HELD BY SOLOMON:
MKES:
Solomon - 255
Staropoli - 607
Total Votes - 862
BHES:
Solomon - 281
Staropoli - 364
Total Votes - 645
PRES:
Solomon - 615
Staropoli - 403
Total Votes - 1,018
WPES:
Solomon - 231
Staropoli - 389
Write-in - 1
Total Votes - 621
BVES:
Solomon - 687
Staropoli - 391
Write-in - 1
Total Votes - 1,079
GRAND TOTAL:
Solomon - 2,069
Staropoli - 2,154
Write-ins - 2
Total Votes - 4,225
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