Voters send E. Bruns. school tab to council

BY VINCENT TODARO
Staff Writer

After gaining voter approval for a $106.1 million construction referendum in December, the East Brunswick Board of Education could not do the same with its $115.9 million budget for 2005-06.

Voters on Tuesday rejected the spending plan in a vote of 1,800 to 1,450, meaning the Township Council will have to decide whether to order cuts or let a 28-cent hike in the school tax rate stand.

“With a defeated budget, we have some very difficult decisions to make as we work with the mayor and Town Council,” Superintendent of Schools Jo Ann Magistro said in a statement after the election. “We will be looking for places in the budget that will have the least amount of impact on our students.”

Board of Education President Michael Baker said that a lot has been asked of taxpayers in East Brunswick recently, and not in the best economic times, which is likely the reason for the defeat.

“I’m a little disappointed, but not totally surprised,” he said.

Baker said he still believes the community supports education.

Tuesday’s budget defeat followed two years in which voters approved the school tabs proposed by the Board of Education. East Brunswick residents had rejected the packages in both 2001 and 2002. The council ordered significant cuts to the school budget following its defeat in 2002.

Township Council President David Stahl said Tuesday that the council will respect the wishes of the voters and find ways to cut the budget.

He said he believes the message is that tax relief is needed.

A total of 3,263 residents turned out to vote on Tuesday, representing about 11 percent of the 30,163 registered voters in East Brunswick.

Trish LaDuca, coordinator of community relations and programs for the school district, said the turnout for the election was disappointing. She felt part of the reason for the low showing may have been related to the fact that there was no contest for three available seats on the school board and, thus, a quiet election season.

Voters elected two newcomers and one incumbent, all of whom ran without a challenge. Todd Simmens and William McCann will begin their first three-year terms. Incumbent Michael Danatos will begin his second term.

McCann led the pack with 1,858 votes, while Danatos finished with 1,823, and Simmens with 1,822.

McCann, a 27-year-old financial planner, has served on several school-related committees in recent years and has one child in the school system. Simmens, a 35-year-old attorney, has two young children who will be enrolled in East Brunswick schools.

Board members Dennis Lai and Susan Lamond did not seek re-election to their seats.

Officials had said the 28-cent hike was being driven largely by increased salary and benefit costs and the need to provide further maintenance at several schools. The budget also includes the hiring of 27 half-time instructional aides for first grade, 12 new teacher positions, and a department chair at Hammarskjold Middle School.

The costs for new program materials and text books also factored into the increase.