Budget OK'd; teen wins seat on board

BY VINCENT TODARO
Staff Writer

Holly Howard EAST BRUNSWICK - The Board of Education won approval for its budget and received a new 18-year-old member during Tuesday's school election.

The approved spending plan, which follows two years of failed budgets, carries a nearly 37-cent increase in the school tax rate, meaning a school tax hike of almost $370 for the owner of property assessed at $100,000.

It was approved in a vote of 2,587 to 2,549.

The election also returned incumbents Holly Howard and Scott Luxenberg to office. Howard, a 57-year-old homemaker who currently serves as the board's president, finished with 2,906 votes, and will begin her fifth straight term on the board.

Luxenberg, who joined the board in 2003, garnered 2,730 votes.

East Brunswick High School senior Michael Hughes, 18, won his first term on the board after coming in third place in the tallies, with 2,629 votes.

Hughes will be the youngest person to ever sit on the East Brunswick board, although high school students have won board seats in other New Jersey districts.

Scott Luxenberg The fourth candidate in the race, Steven Blaustein, finished with 2,285 votes after running for the first time.

Hughes will take the place of Stacy Bravman, who did not seek re-election.

Hughes, who has been attending recent board meetings, said before the election that he felt the board could benefit from having someone who will be fresh out of the school system.

"I believe I have the most valuable experience out of anyone running," he said, "and that would be my firsthand knowledge of the schools, inside and out."

He said "the best education is an affordable one."

Some 5,186 ballots were cast in Tuesday's school election, representing about 18 percent of the township's eligible voters.

Luxenberg, who is a managing partner in the law office of Menz & Luxenberg, South Brunswick, said he is "happy and excited" to be able to serve another three years on the board. He was also pleased that voters supported the budget this year, noting that many people worked to get the message out in support of the spending package.

Michael Hughes "I'm very, very happy about the budget passing," he said. "It's really the result of a major effort by members of the community. It was passed by a very tight vote."

Luxenberg said he thought the voter turnout was "pretty good," since it did represent an increase from last year.