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$141 MILLION SCHOOL BUDGET DEFEATED BY MORE THAN 1,000 VOTES
By Keith Hagarty
With all votes in and accounted for, the Brick Township School District was hit with sweeping rejection on Tuesday as its proposed $141 million 2008-2009 school budget was denied by voters.
Also rejected were two special ballot questions seeking nearly $600,000 in funding for technology and security upgrades for the district, by more than 1,200 votes.
The proposed $141 million budget will now be sent to the Township Council for further review. The council will contract a special consultant to help find additional cost-saving measures. The council will then send the revised budget and proposed recommendations to the board of education for approval, or for appeal to the state Department of Education.
The proposed $141 million budget is $7.8 million more than last year, an 8.2 percent increase, and calls for a 9.8-cent tax rate increase per $100 of assessed property value on a home. Had it been approved by voters, the increase would have meant a Brick home owner with a property assessed at $134,000 would pay about $130 more per year.
Last year, voters overwhelmingly approved the district's $134 million 2007-2008 school budget and its 6.26-cent tax rate increase by a vote of 5,944 to 3,762.
This year's proposed budget faced months of debate and questions over the district's plan to close two district schools for the coming school year. The district administration said the closing of the Primary Learning Center (PLC), on Chambers Bridge Road, would have saved the district about $800,000; while the closing of the Laurelton School, on Princeton Avenue, would have provided an additional savings of $24,000.
In addition, both of the district's special ballot questions were soundly rejected by voters.
The first question, calling for the dedication of $150,000 to hire a district security supervisor and secretary was overwhelmingly defeated by a vote of 6,322, or 81 percent voting against it, while only 1,517, or 19 percent of the voters, in favor.
The second question asked for $478,500 to upgrade the aging computers and technological equipment currently used throughout the district.
Again, voters let their voices be heard, as the second question did not fare much better as 4,655 voters, or 61 percent, voted against it, while only 2,947 voters, or 39 percent, were in favor of the measure.
Under state regulations, for any school individual referendum question to pass, it must receive over 60 percent voter approval.
If approved, both referendums would have increased the tax rate by an additional 1.3 cents, or about $17 more per year. If voters passed the budget and questions, the tax rate would have risen by a total of 11.1 cents, or an average residential property tax increase of $149 per year.
Last year, voters said yes to four separate ballot questions by a wide margin, including $300,000 in funding for non-mandated courtesy busing; $800,000 for extracurricular activities, including athletics and school clubs; $275,000 for security enhancements throughout the school district, including include security cameras and identification technology; as well as a one-time expenditure for roof repairs and at an estimated costs of $4.4 million, with about $1.7 million of coming from the state. The repairs were for both high schools, the Herbertsville annex, Veterans Memorial Middle School and Lake Riviera Middle School.
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