East Hampton Students Mobilize Vote on Town Budget Referendum

A group of East Hampton High School students are spreading the word about the town’s budget referendum. It comes after cuts to education were included in the proposed budget.

“They bring so much to the school and every teacher matters, here especially,” Enja Barry, a junior, said.

That’s how students at East Hampton high school feel about their teachers. As the town budget moves forward to a referendum, included are about $800,000 in education spending cuts, possibly eliminating five teacher positions. That didn’t sit well with the students.

“Once we start cutting teachers, we start showing people that education no longer matters. Once education no longer matters, how does that paint us as a society?” William Faber, a freshman, said.

In response to the budget cuts, a group of students is mobilizing their fellow classmates.

“I value my voice and I value the voice of my students and I want to make sure that they’re heard,” Salem Didado, a senior, said.

This meant handing out informational slips to high school students eligible to vote, breaking down what a yes or no vote would mean and encouraging them to register to vote if eligible.

“I went to a bunch of different homerooms. I had volunteers helping me. I assigned them to different wings of the school.”

Senior Noelle Lavender came up with the idea and design.

“I specifically made them half sheets, because I know if I’m a student and I get a full sheet of paper, I know I’m not going to look at it,” she said.

Lavender says this required administrative approval from the school and the superintendent. Superintendent Paul Smith confirmed he approved of the slips being distributed with caveats saying in a statement:

“Students at East Hampton High School asked if they could spread the word about the upcoming budget referendum (May 30) and remind their fellow students who were eligible to register to vote if they had not already done so.  Permission was given by me for them to proceed as long as no school supplies (paper) or school copy machines were used to create their pamphlets.  No taxpayer dollars were used for this effort.  We’re proud to support student involvement in this civic process.”

The chair of the East Hampton Board of Education stressing in a statement the students are working independently saying:

“Any resident choosing to actively participate in local democracy should be applauded. While the group of grass-roots advocates have made themselves known, the Board of Education has no involvement or influence in these efforts.”

Lavender says the school and teachers have been clear, the slips can only be informative about the referendum. They cannot take sides.

“I don’t want to sway people’s opinions in any way. I want them to form their own with the facts,” she said.

She hopes students go to the ballot box having a say on what their future holds.

“I’m not going to be here next year, but my friends are going to be here. My brother who’s like my best friend is going to be here,” Lavender said.

The town budget referendum is set to happen on May 30.