Voters, hopefuls, budgets ready for Tuesday election
By: Rebecca Weltmann
School election campaigns are running in full swing as candidates prepare for the April 17 balloting. With signs posted across the towns, school board candidates share ballot space with many controversial school budgets.
In the Upper Freehold Regional School District, the school board is asking voters to approve a tax levy of about $16.5 from a total budget of about $29.4 million.
In Allentown, with a tax rate of $2.59 for every $100 of assessed value and the average home assessed at $154,000, the owner of the average-assessed borough property can expect to see a school tax of about $3,988 if the budget is approved.
In Upper Freehold, with a tax rate of $1.19 for every $100 of assessed value and the average home assessed at $519,800, the owner of the average-assessed township property can expect to see a school tax of about $6,185 if the budget is approved.
The board is also asking voters to approve a referendum seeking an additional funding of about $13 million for the middle school project slated to be built on Breza Road.
Seeking election for the Allentown portion of the school board are incumbents Elizabeth Trent and Douglas Anthony.
On the Upper Freehold side, newcomers Joseph Calvitti, Jr., Kenneth Caitano and Patricia Hogan will vie for two open seats.
In Upper Freehold, registered voters may vote at the regular polling places. District 1 may vote at the municipal complex, located at 314 Route 539. Districts 2 and 4 may vote at the Allentown First Aid Squad building on Route 526 and District 3 may vote at the Hope Fire Company building on Route 526. Polls will be open from 2 to 9 p.m.
Millstone is part of the Upper Freehold district, and while Millstone high school students attend Allentown High School, there are no candidates running for the Upper Freehold Regional School District from Millstone.
In Allentown, District 1 voters may cast their ballots at Allentown High School; District 2 at Allentown Methodist Church on Church Street.
The Millstone School District is asking voters to approve a $24.8 million tax levy from a total budget of about $30.3 million. With a tax rate of $1.98 per $100 of assessed value and the average house in Millstone assessed at $397,331, such a property owner would face a school tax of about $7,867.15 if the budget is approved.
Running for school board in Millstone are newcomers Margaret Gordon and Doreen Beaumont. The board will wait to see if the election brings any write-in candidates for the third seat. If it does not, the board will advertise for candidates to fill the vacancy. The board would then interview the candidates and make a selection. The selected person would then serve on the board until the next election, at which point he or she would have to run for re-election, said Brian Boyle assistant superintendent of business and board secretary.
Voters are expected to face three additional questions on the budget portion of the ballot. The district is asking voters to approve an additional $400,000 for a full-day kindergarten program. The second question seeks an additional $69,781 for an applied technology teacher. The third question seeks an additional $78,700 for new language arts textbooks.
District 1 voters may cast their votes at Millstone Community Center at 463 Stagecoach Road. District 2 voting will be at the Municipal Building at 470 Stagecoach Road and Districts 3 through 6 may cast their votes at Millstone Elementary School at 18 Schoolhouse Road. Polls will be open from 2 to 9 p.m.
The Plumsted Board of Education will ask voters to approve a $8.9 million tax levy from its $19.8 million budget Tuesday. With a tax rate of 86.2 cents per $100 of assessed value, the owner of a property at the township average would be faced with a school tax bill of about $3,327.32 if the budget is approved.
Running for election in Plumsted is incumbent Katherine McCaughey and newcomers Richard Brevogel, Larry Downs, as well as Anthony O’Donnell, who ran in 2005 but did not win.
In addition to voting on the budget and on the school board members, voters will also be faced with four additional questions. The first question would ask voters to approve $355,371 toward keeping two assistant principals; the high school swimming program; the middle school junior varsity program; dances for grades six through 12; two high school clubs; K-5 yearbooks, to provide transportation, camp fees and substitute coverage for the eighth grade camping trip; K-12 field trips; high school summer school; and professional development and basic skills busing.
The second question seeks $162,000 to maintain the existing courtesy busing program and to keep a school resource officer at the district.
The third question asks voters for $117,075 to provide technology funds for computers, interactive whiteboards, projectors, repairs, school security cameras and a primary monitor.
The fourth question asks voters to decide whether the school board should spend $51,017 to maintain one full-time nurse position with a $51,017 annual salary.
District 1 voters can vote in the New Egypt Firehouse on Main Street; District 2 at the New Egypt First Aid Squad building at 32 Brynmore Road; District 3 at the Jenson’s Deep Run clubhouse on Route 537; and District 4 at the Municipal Building, 121 Evergreen Road. Polls will be open from 2 until 9-p.m.
In Washington, incumbents David Pethybridge and Mike Reca will seek re-election to the school board. They are running against the two-person slate made up of newcomers Tom Halm and Lainie Potter.
Washington’s school board is asking voters to approve a tax levy of about $16 million from a total budget of about $30.8 million. Because of delays in the final township tax rate, the board is basing its tax figures on last year’s assessment numbers. Under those numbers, the tax rate is expected to be $3.14 per $100 of assessed value, and with the average home assessed at $169,000 taxpayers could expect to pay a school tax of approximately $5,306 if the budget is approved about $608 more than last year.
Washington has redrawn its polling places, so most people will be able to vote in places different than previous years. District 1 (formerly General District 7), can vote at Pond Road Middle School on Pond Road. District 2 (formerly General District 5), can vote at the Washington Library at 42 Robbinsville-Allentown Road. District 3, (formerly General District 3), can vote at the Washington Township Firehouse on Route 130. District 4 (formerly General Districts 2,4 and 6), can vote at the Rose Hill Community Room on Washington Blvd. District 5 (formerly General Districts 8 and 9), can vote at Robbinsville High School at 155 Robbinsville-Edinburg Road. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 9 p.m.