FISHERS ISLAND NOTICE OF ANNUAL SCHOOL DISTRICT PUBLIC HEARING, BUDGET VOTE AND ELECTION SUFFOLK COUNTY, NEW YORK
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that a public hearing of the qualified voters of the Fishers Island Union Free School District, Suffolk County, Fishers Island, New York, will be held in the Fishers Island Community Center on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at 6:00 PM prevailing time, and through video conference through Zoom Platform for the presentation of the budget. The budget will be available for review on May 6, 2025, at the Fishers Island School and at www.fischool.com.
AND NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that the annual meeting and election of the qualified voters of the Fishers Island Union Free School District #4 of the Town of Southold, Suffolk County, New York, will be held at the Fishers Island Community Center (66 Hound Lane, Fishers Island, NY 06390) in said District on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, at 2:00 pm until 8:00 pm prevailing time, during which time the polls will be open to vote by paper ballots in voting booths upon the following items:
- To adopt the annual budget of the Fishers Island Union Free School District for the fiscal year 2025-2026 and to authorize the requisite portion thereof to be raised by taxation on the taxable property of the District.
- To elect two (2) members of the Board of Education each for a three-year term commencing July 1, 2025, and expiring on June 30, 2028, to succeed Catherine Edwards and Amy Harris whose terms expire on June 30, 2025.
- To authorize the annual budget for the fiscal year 2025-2026 to the Fishers Island Library, to be raised by taxation on the taxable property of the District.
- To authorize the District to purchase and finance three (3) eight passenger mini-vans including necessary furnishings, fixtures and equipment and all other costs incidental thereto, and expend a total sum not to exceed $150,000, which is estimated to be the total maximum cost thereof, and pay for such vehicles with no additional tax levied upon taxpayers.
AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a copy of the statement of the amount of money which will be required to fund the School District’s budget for 2025-2026, exclusive of public monies, may be obtained by any resident in the District beginning Tuesday, May 6, 2025 at the Fishers Island School building from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM.
AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that petitions nominating candidates for the office of member of the Board of Education shall be filed with the District Clerk at the District’s Main Office between the hours of 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM prevailing time not later than noon Monday, April 21, 2025. Each petition shall be directed to the Clerk of the District. Nominating petitions shall not describe any specific vacancy upon the Board for which the candidate is nominated, must be directed to the District Clerk, signed by at least twenty-five (25) qualified voters of the district, must state the name and residence of the candidate, two vacancies on the Board of Education are to be filled for two three-year terms commencing July 1, 2025 and expiring on June 30, 2028. The present incumbents whose terms are expiring are Catherine Edwards and Amy Harris. Vacancies on the Board of Education are not considered separate, specific offices; candidates run at large.
The following candidates are running for the two open seats on the Board of Education:
Catherine Edwards (Incumbent)
Amy Harris (Incumbent)
Rosanna Anderson
Aleksandra Norton
AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that applications for early mail ballots will be obtainable during school business hours from the District Clerk, applications will be accepted by the District Clerk beginning April 21, 2025; completed applications must be received by the District Clerk at least seven (7) days before the election if the ballot is to be mailed to the vot- er, or the day before the election, if the ballot is to be delivered personally to the voter. Early mail ballots must be received by the District Clerk no later than 5:00 p.m., prevailing time, on May 20, 2025.
A list of persons to whom early mail ballots are issued will be available for inspection to qualified voters of the District in the office of the District Clerk through May 19, 2025 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on weekdays prior to the day set for the annual election and on May 20, 2025.
AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the qualified voters of the District shall be entitled to vote at the District’s annual meeting, vote, and election. A qualified voter is one who is (1) a citizen of the United States of America, (2) eighteen years of age or older, and (3) a resident within the District for a period of thirty (30) days next preceding the annual meeting, vote, and election. The District may require all persons offering to vote at the election to provide one form of proof of residency pursuant to Education Law Section 2018-c. Such form may include a driver’s license, a non-driver identification card, or a voter registration card. Upon offer of proof of residency, the District may also require all persons offering to vote to provide their signature, printed name and address.
AND FURTHER NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that pursuant to a rule adopted by the Board of Education in accordance with §2035 and 2008 of the Education Law, any referenda or propositions to amend the budget, otherwise to be submitted for voting at said election, must be filed with the Fishers Island Union Free School District Board of Education at the Fishers Island School on or before April 21, 2025 at 5:00 PM prevailing time; must be typed or printed in English, must be directed to the Clerk of the School District and signed by at least 30 qualified voters of the District; and must state the name and residence of each signer. However, the School board will not entertain any petition to place before the voters any proposition the purpose of which is not within the powers of the voters to determine, or any proposition which fails to include a specific appropriation where the expenditure of monies is required by the proposition.
Danielle Etes, District Clerk
Dated: March 28, 2025
Fishers Island UFSD
Town of Southold, Suffolk County, New York
School seal
Published April 3, 2025
