The proposed 2005-06 Roslyn School District, one set at $80,474,982, was advertised as being less than what a contingency budget would be, if the latter were in fact ever forced on the district.

That argument may have had something to do with its success. Either way, the budget passed by a comfortable margin, as did Proposition #3, a $5.1 million capital improvement act. Finally, the 2005-06 Bryant Library budget, which itself totaled $4,287,230, enjoyed passage by a 1,579 to 545 total.

Before the vote, school officials emphasized that the capital improvement fund represented a transfer of funds from the district's fund balance and would not involve any increase in property taxes.

After the vote, David J. Helme, the school district's interim superintendent, pledged to "build on [the] positive and promising mandate" that resulted from the approval of both the budget and the capital plan.

The three school board candidates who were elected to the BOE on May 17 applauded the passage of the budget. Clifford Saffron was the leading vote getter, gaining the support of 1,691 residents. Meryl Waxman Ben-Levy received 1,422 votes, while Jeffrey Borowick won a razor-thin margin for the third board seat, gaining 1,288 votes to 1,284 for Jeffrey Sapper.

Saffron was re-elected to serve a three-year term. This summer, Ms. Ben-Levy will also begin serving a three-year term.

Meanwhile, Jeffrey Borowick, as the third highest vote getter, was elected to complete an unexpired term, one that ends June 30, 2006.

Noting that both the budget and the capital improvement act passed by "overwhelming margins," Cliff Saffron said those votes reflect a "renewed sense of confidence in the board and administration" by local residents. Those votes, he added, also "sets a solid foundation for own future."

As for the immediate future, Saffron said the board should focus on the district's educational programs to determine "what's working and what's not." Programs that aren't working need to be replaced, he said, hopefully by ones that prove to be both innovative and progressive. In all, the board should conduct a comprehensive review of all educational programs in all of the district's schools.

In addition, the board must confront another "critically important" issue, namely a personnel search to find permanent replacements for both the Superintendent's office and the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction.

Meryl Waxman Ben-Levy was not only pleased by her victory, but also by the number of residents who voted in the board election, which historically, has a low turnout. "I am encouraged by the voter turnout, which I thought was terrific," she said. "I am humbled by people's confidence in me. I will do my best to restore the confidence the community has in our school district."

"The real victory has been people participating at every step of the process," Ms. Ben-Levy continued. "It will take all hands on deck to do the things that need to be done."

That includes having a "solid school administration" for Roslyn, most prominently with a successful search for a new superintendent. Ms. Ben-Levy also agreed that the board needs to conduct a thorough review of the curriculum. She also praised the passage of Proposition #3. Renovation of certain school buildings would, she said, be uplifting to the entire community.

As noted, Jeff Borowick eked out a four-vote margin of victory, one that recalled a similar close vote for a Roslyn School Board seat in an election that took place several years ago.

He, too, was encouraged by high voter turnout, especially the "incredible amount of seniors who came out [to vote]." Borowick said he would serve by promoting the "things I ran on," including more transparency in school board affairs, fiscal prudence, a curriculum review, and a second monthly school board meeting. As with other candidates, Borowick had endorsed the proposed school budget.

Borowick also looked back on the campaign that gave him a thin victory, recalling that along with Meryl Waxman Ben-Levy, he "walked [to] every house and every garden apartment" in the school district area. He also recalled the concerns voters had over property taxes and also school safety.