Skip to content
News
Link copied to clipboard

N.J. School budgets fare better this year

Plans for more state aid and recently enacted property-tax relief were cited as reasons for the high rate of voter approval.

In a drastic turnaround from a year ago, South Jersey voters overwhelming gave a thumbs-up to their local school budgets in Tuesday's annual elections.

Despite the likelihood of higher property taxes, spending plans for the 2007-08 school year were approved in 71 of 103 districts in Burlington, Camden and Gloucester Counties.

Statewide, voters approved 78 percent of the proposed budgets, up from only 52 percent last year, when voters took out their anger over higher property taxes at the ballot box.

It was the highest approval rating since 2001, when 81 percent of budgets statewide were approved.

Some school officials attributed this year's approval rate to the state's recent property-tax relief efforts and increased aid. New Jersey has the highest property taxes in the country.

"It's quite simple: Additional state aid helps to alleviate the burden on property taxes and promotes community support for the schools," said Edwina M. Lee, executive director of the New Jersey School Boards Association.

State Education Commissioner Lucille Davy also credited a 3 percent increase in state aid to districts, the first increase in five years. Gov. Corzine lifted a freeze on aid this year, boosting funding for education to nearly $11 billion.

"It's a significant increase," Davy said in an interview yesterday.

But some districts said the aid was not enough to offset the need to seek property-tax hikes because of the rising cost of salaries, benefits and services.

"The state has shorted us for a lot of years. It's catching up with us," Waterford Superintendent Gary Dentino said.

Waterford voters rejected a proposed $24.7 million budget that would have boosted the average annual tax bill by $550, the biggest increase in the Camden County district in nine years. Dentino said the increase was needed to cover a $2.7 million tuition increase to send Waterford's middle and high school students to nearby Hammonton.

Camden County had the highest rejection rate in the tri-county area, with voters approving 21 of 38 proposed budgets, or 55 percent.

In Gloucester County, 21 of 27 proposed budgets, or 78 percent, were approved. In Burlington County, 30 of 38 were approved, or 79 percent.

There were setbacks in six of the region's largest districts where voters soundly defeated proposed budgets, even those seeking modest increases.

Among those rejected were Washington Township and Monroe Township in Gloucester County; Winslow Township and Gloucester Township in Camden County; and Lenape Regional and Evesham in Burlington County.

School officials must now prepare to turn over their defeated budgets to municipal officials, who can reduce them.

Cheryl Simone, schools chief in Washington Township in Gloucester County, said she was encouraged that the proposed $130 million budget was narrowly defeated and "did not go down in flames."

Simone said district officials hoped to reach an agreement with the Township Council to avoid drastic cuts. Last year, about $1.5 million was sliced from the budget after voters rejected it, she said.

In Evesham, a proposed $48 million budget was rejected by 26 votes, the second straight defeat for the Burlington County district. It would have added about $50 to the average annual tax bill. "We were so hopeful," Superintendent Patricia Lucas said. "It was the best budget ever."

Elsewhere in Burlington County, voters rejected Lenape Regional's proposed budget for the sixth straight year. It would have increased taxes in seven of its eight sending districts.

Assistant Superintendent Emily Capella said that the budget called for $600,000 in cuts and that there was little left to trim without impacting students. Lenape has increased class sizes and eliminated programs in recent years to save money, she said.

"There isn't any fat in our budget," Capella said.

Municipal officials can approve or reduce rejected budgets. Some cuts can be appealed to the state education commissioner.

Turnout was down this year, with only about 14 percent of the state's 4.9 million registered voters participating, compared with 16 percent last year.

Voters approved 46 percent of second-ballot questions, which raise additional taxes for special projects or staff. In South Jersey, voters approved five second questions and rejected seven others.

They also approved all but two of the 18 school construction bond proposals statewide, including two in Burlington County. Voters also elected school board candidates.

Elections were postponed in three North Jersey districts because of flooding caused by this week's nor'easter. New dates have not yet been announced.