By David Kilby, Staff Writer
Monroe School District’s budget was turned down by voters Wednesday, and a former member returns to the Board of Education while voters re-elected all incumbent candidates in Cranbury and Jamesburg.
Amy Antelis received the most votes of all candidates in Monroe — 2,869 — to reclaim a seat on the board after being off it for one year.
She will be joined on the board by incumbent Ken Chiarella, who received 2,753 votes, and newcomer Kathy Kolupanowich, who received 2,727. Kathy Leonard, the other incumbent, received 2,720 votes. These numbers include absentee ballots.
The budget of $102,926,020, with a tax rate of $2.413 per $100 of assessed valuation, was turned down 3,387 to 2,262.
The second question, which asked voters to approve spending $777,237 for full-day kindergarten at Barclay Brook, Mill Lake and Oak Tree elementary schools, also was rejected, 3,606 to 1,802.
Mr. Chiarella said he’s thankful the voters trust him to make the right decisions for their children and with their taxes. He also thanked Ms. Leonard for her service and wished her luck.
He said the budget will be the first thing the board will address as his new term begins.
”In the short term, we need to look at how the (Township) Council is going to cut our budget and try to work with whatever cuts they deem appropriate,” he said. “I think our council has been very supportive of our children. The council and mayor have always done the right thing instead of the politically expedient thing.”
He said the opening of the new high school is “full steam ahead.”
”We have to continue the progress, prepare for the transition and open up the new school on time and under budget. That’s gonna happen,” he said.
Ms. Kolupanowich said she appreciates the support from the community.
”(The election) was very interesting since you had all well-known, highly qualified candidates,” she said. “I’m just happy to be back and continue to educate our children.”
The first thing is to open the new high school, she said.
”That’s going to be the most exciting thing we’ve had in a while,” she said.
”Then we need to start lobbying our state for more funding,” she said, adding the trend of having a budget that keeps getting turned down is not good.
”We have to let the public know we will be working hard to get our fair share,” she said. “Then we have to communicate better to the community as to what we’re doing and why”.
She added, “It’s an honor to be supporting the community and board. I will continue to do that to the best of my ability.”
Ms. Antelis also said she is very honored voters elected her back on the board.
”I know we have issues with funding and budgets ahead of us. I will be working hard with the board, and we will do the right thing,” she said. “I want to be an active part of the board and work hard to make sure whatever cuts made don’t adversely affect our children.”
She added, “I’m just really looking forward to serving the township for the next three years,” she said. “I really am thankful for all those who came out and supported me.”
Michael Gorski, business administrator, explained the financial challenges the board is facing — while emphasizing the tax rate is high because of factors beyond the school district’s control.
”The tax rate is a composite of multiple things,” he said.
He explained that in the 2011-12 budget, the district has to pay for opening the new high school, transforming the old high school into a middle school and paying for asbestos removal and renovations at Applegarth School.
Despite these expenses, the budget still was under the 2 percent tax levy cap, Mr. Gorski said.
”It was a conservative budget,” he said, adding the tax rate is high because of three main factors, the first being the miniscule amount of state aid the school district receives.
The district lost $4.4 million in state aid in 2010-11, and $2.2 million of that is raised in the 2011-12 tax levy.
”What the state didn’t give us last year, we’re forced to raise in this year’s levy based on the budget that was approved last year,” he said.
He added, “There’s no question, when you receive $198 per pupil from the state, you’re going to have to ask the community what would be beyond customary to fund education.”
The second factor impacting the high tax rate is the decreasing fund balance.
”We don’t have the interest income we used to enjoy,” Mr. Gorski said. “Also, with lack of state aid we’re receiving, we’re having to budget more carefully.”
He said the district has $2 million less in its fund balance due to lower interest rates. The third biggest factor impacting the tax rate is ratables.
”The district has an approved tax levy that is shared by the ratable base,” he said. “The higher assessment, the more you pay. Because of the economy, the ratable base has shrunk so everyone has to pay more to make up for the ratable base.”
He added, “Its not that we forced a square peg into a round hole with this budget. We can’t change factors of ratables, state aid and interest rates. We have a responsibility to the children to put certain things in the budget, and we put forth a budget that meets those needs. Even if we reduced our appropriations to the same level as last year, we’d still have a tax increase.”
The school district will meet soon with the Township Council, which may propose reductions in the budget, decide to leave it as is or, in rare cases, increase spending.
”Hopefully, we can come to an agreement and we’ll modify the budget,” Mr. Gorski said. “We appreciate the support and reasonableness of the Town Council.”
”We have enjoyed the partnership we have (with the council),” he said, adding the board is optimistic about what the council will suggest.
In Jamesburg, write-in candidates for the Board of Education did significantly well, but the incumbents still won while one new board member occupies an empty seat.
Incumbent Linda Newton won back her seat with 188 votes as did incumbent Salvatore Brucato with 182 votes. William Maresca received 181 votes, and he will take Donald Peterson’s seat, who is stepping down.
The write-in candidates were Richard Reynolds, who received 136 votes, Monica Ludwig, who also received 136, and Tom Van de Sande, who received 120.
The budget of $12,437,264 passed 230 to 179, which is $467,767 or 3.9 percent more than last year’s budget of $11,969,499.
The tax rate in Jamesburg school district’s budget will remain flat at $2.930 per $100 of assessed valuation. The owner of a house assessed at the average of $124,190 will pay $3,638.77 in taxes for the 2011-12 school year.
The three incumbents won in the Cranbury Board of Education elections, and the budget passed.
Jennifer Cooke had 367 votes, Kevin Fox received 328 votes, and Evelyn Spann garnered 317 votes to reclaim their seats. Challenger Pramod Chivate was unsuccessful with 292 votes.
The $15,482,513 budget for 2011-12 passed 333 to 180. It is 2.6 percent lower than 2010-11’s budget with a tax levy of $14,941,270. The tax rate in the budget is 98.09 cents per $100 dollars of assessed valuation, a .387-cent increase from last year. The owner of a house assessed at the average of $608,331 will pay $5,966.99 per year, $235.66 more than in the 2010-11 school year.
”I want to thank everybody for coming out to vote,” Ms. Cooke said. “I am honored that they elected me for a second term. I’m happy to be able to continue the job I started by staying on top of what’s coming out of Trenton and watching the budget closely so we can maintain high quality programs.”
Ms. Spann said, “It was a fairly close race. Pramod Chivate did fairly well. I really like to see that the town is very open to receiving other people to be part of the board.”
She added, “I am happy to continue. We have a lot of things in motion.”
She said it would have felt a little abrupt not to be re-elected since she is in the middle of helping the board search for a new chief school administrator and move forward in some facility projects and curriculum items.
”More than anything, I am happy to see the support of the budget and such a large number of voters coming out,” she said. “I think it speaks well of the board that a lot of people turned out.”

