Riverhead school budget passes 52.8% to 47.2%

Riverhead Central School District voters approved the 2026-2027 operating budget  Tuesday by a vote of 944 to 841.

Incumbent trustees Cynthia Redmond and Erica Murphy were elected to their second three-year terms and newcomer Jasmine Corwin was elected to the remaining three-year term. Julio Gonzalez, who was appointed by the board last year to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of board member Brian Connelly. He was appointed to serve through the next trustee election. As the fourth-place finisher in Tuesday’s vote, Gonzalez was elected to a one-year term, completing Connelly’s term of office.

The trustee vote count was as follows:

• Cynthia Redmond: 1,274

• Erica Murphy: 1,273

• Jasmine Corwin: 1,180

• Julio Gonzalez: 891

• Natasha Cooks: 869

There were 25 write-in votes for trustee.

The results were announced by District Clerk Dawn Bozuhoski at the Board of Education’s annual meeting, held in the high school cafeteria after the polls closed and the votes were tallied.

Bozuhoski administered the oath of office to Gonzalez immediately following the announcement of the results.

“We thank the community for its support of the budget,” board president James Scudder said.

The board voted unanimously to accept the results of Tuesday’s vote. It took up one additional business item: a resolution appointing Colleen Card as assistant superintendent for business. Card will succeed Marianne Cartisano in that position. Cartisano was appointed interim assistant superintendent for business in October 2023.

Card currently serves as the school business official in the Miller Place Union Free School District. District Superintendent Bob Hagan said in an interview after Tuesday’s meeting that Card’s start date in Riverhead has not yet been finally determined.