Though the support was not overwhelming, both townships approved the West Windsor-Plainsboro School District’s $141.1 million budget in the April 18 school election.##M:[more]##
In the race for three-year seats on the school board, Stan incumbent Stan Katz won re-election to his West Windsor seat, while Anthony Fleres and Anjani Gharpure won two open spots on the board in Plainsboro.
The budget, which represents a 3.9 percent increase over least year’s $136.24 million budget, was approved by a total vote of 1,”275-1037, according to unofficial results.
The budget passed by a significantly smaller margin than last year, when it was approved by a 1,”664-960 vote. In Plainsboro, the numbers are similar to the 2005 election, when the budget was approved 430-328. This year the budget was approved by a 440-302 vote.
But West Windsor saw a dropoff in the number of people voting in the budget referendum (1,”570 this year as opposed to 1,”866 in 2005), and a decrease in the number of people voting in favor of the budget.
Last year, 1,”234 voters cast ballots in favor of the budget, but only 835 voted yes this year — a decrease of some 32 percent. This is compared to an increase in the number voting against the spending plan, which went up from 632 last year to 735 this year — an increase of 14 percent.
Turnout was light with 1,”570 of West Windsor’s 13,”900 registered voters (11.3 percent) showing at the polls. In Plainsboro, 742 of the township’s 9,”362 registered voters (7.9 percent) cast ballots.
Katz, who was elected over challenger Brett Boal by a 988-465 vote, attributes the decrease in votes for the budget to the fact that West Windsor residents have no idea how the budget is going to affect their taxes as a result of the ongoing property revaluation.
Although residents have received the new valuations of their homes — in many cases more than double the previous value — the property tax rate will not be set until this summer. Without a tax rate, there is no way to calculate the budget’s tax impacts.
“We had a situation this year that is different than every other year. People didn’t know the tax impact,” says Katz. “I think they understood that we were keeping the reins tight, but when they don’t know what the taxes are going to, be people may be less willing to vote for the budget.”
The general anti-tax atmosphere in the state also didn’t help. “School district budgets are the only budgets that people get to vote on, and sometimes they voice their displeasure by voting against them,” says Katz. “I’m very pleased with the results (in WW-P) when looking at the fact that only 50 percent of budgets in the state passed. It’s a good sign, but it’s also a warning. A warning that needs to be heeded by the state.”
This year’s 3.9 percent increase ($5.34 million) is the lowest increase in the budget since the 1980s. The budget calls for the taxes in Plainsboro to be increase by 3.4 percent from $51.35 million to $53.1 million, an increase of $1.7 million.
That translates into a tax increase of 3.5 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, an increase of $141.50 on a home assessed at the township average of $402,”000, significantly lower than last year, when a home assessed at the township average saw an annual tax increase of some $1,”500.
In West Windsor, the amount to be raised by taxation will go up this year by about 5 percent from $68.2 million to $71.6 million, an increase of $3.38 million.
Meanwhile, looking ahead to the next three years, Katz believes that the biggest challenge facing the school board is moving forward with the building plans approved by voters in the January facilities referendum. “We have to make sure they are done on time, with minimal disruption, and within the budget constraints we have.”
The board will also have to consider the ramifications of the dire financial situation at the state level and how it may impact WW-P, says Katz. The school district already suffered small decrease in state aid this year.
He points out that this year the district was able to save money by shifting teachers from the elementary school level, where enrollments are down, to the high schools.
The district also saw one-time savings as a result of a switch in employee insurance to the state plan, and a reduction in debt service. the debt service will increase again as the district goes out to bond to pay for the facilities referendum. “It’s going to be difficult to find new ways of keeping the budget down,” Katz says.
A third area that will need board attention is curriculum reform, especially at the middle school level, says Katz. During the election, both Katz, and his opponent, Brett Boal, agreed that kids who would be in advanced placement classes in other districts are not afforded that opportunity in WW-P due to the large quantity of students who perform at a high level.
A proposed no-cost solution would be to take some of the regular classes and switch them over to AP classes to allow more students to participate. “The good part about the middle school situation,” Katz says, “is that we can make changes that won’t cost us anything.”
Katz also says that he is pleased with the makeup of the board, and stressed that Superintendent Robert Loretan has proven to be a tremendous boon to the district. “We have an outstanding administration now, and they’re are doing everything this community needs.” He says that Loretan and the administration have been able to focus on looking at quality of education issues, while at the same being cognizant of holding the line on spending.
Plainsboro Results
In the Plainsboro election for two seats on the board, Anthony Fleres finished first with 398 votes, and Anjani Gharpure was a close second with 385.
Chris Pordon, an 18-year-old senior at High School South made a surprising showing, coming in third with 320 votes. The fourth challenger, Neal Phenes, had 190 votes.
Fleres, Gharpure, and Katz were sworn-into office during the board’s annual reorganization meeting on Tuesday, April 25.
The meeting also featured the election of West Windsor representative Hemant Marathe as board president and Plainsboro representative Richard Johnson as vice president, both by unanimous votes.
Fleres says he is looking forward to working with the other board members and administration. “I just plan to start out by asking a lot of questions as I learn about the many details involved in running a 9,”400-student school district. And naturally, I’ll offer my opinions when I feel I’ve got something to add to the discussion.”
Just for the Kids Awards
Four schools in West Windsor-Plainsboro School District were honored by Washington Mutual and the Business Coalition for Educational Excellence at the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce at an event on Friday, April 28, at 8:30 a.m. at the Crowne Plaza in Jamesburg. Named as benchmark schools were Millstone River, Village School, Community Middle School, and High School South.
Dana Egreczky, of Business Coalition for Education Excellence; Randy Grimm, of Washington Mutual; and Lucille Davy, of the state Department of Education, were scheduled to present awards to 89 schools from 46 districts.
The New Jersey Benchmark Schools were identified for attaining high rates of student achievement on the state’s fourth grade New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge (NJASK), Grade Eight Proficiency Assessment (GEPA), and high school Proficiency Assessment (HSPA).
