2010 School Elections Voter's Guide

The polls open for the 2010 school elections this Tuesday, April 20, giving residents of Bernards a chance to vote for new Board of Education members, a new school budget and the level of property taxes in town.

The following is a guide highlighting the coverage of each of the topic's under consideration by Basking Ridge Patch over the past several months.

Board of Education

Five candidates are running for four Board of Education seats this year. Audrey Cohen Sherwyn was appointed to the board one year ago and will run unopposed to fill the rest of her seat's two-year unexpired term. The four remaining candidates will compete for three full, three-year terms.

Current board president William Koch and fellow incumbents Lou Carlucci and Michael Byrne will run for reelection, and Liberty Corner PTO President Elaine Kusel is running as the challenger.

Basking Ridge Patch conducted exclusive profile interviews with each candidate. For more see:

• Board of Education Candidate Profile: William Koch
• Board of Education Candidate Profile: Lou Carlucci
• Board of Education Candidate Profile: Michael Byrne
• Board of Education Candidate Profile: Elaine Kusel

School Budget

The budget process was a long and difficult one for the 2010-11 school year. Over $3.8 million dollars was cut from the district's state aid totals, resulting in many variations in proposed budgets and program cuts.

The final budget that was adopted by the Board of Education calls for $500,000 in program cuts in the schools. Basking Ridge Patch published a breakdown of the cuts on April 1 – see "What Exactly Is Being Cut In the Schools."

The short story is that the district will save: $110,000 by not replacing an administrator leaving on maternity leave, $40,000 by combining clerical work among support services staff, $290,000 by cutting eight Kindergarten aids and 12 special education aids and $60,000 by eliminating sixth grade Japanese classes and American Studies at Ridge High School.

Property Taxes

The proposed school budget calls for a 5.07 percent increase in property taxes for the upcoming year, amounting to an estimated $338 increase per household.

The Board of Education chose to pursue tax increases beyond the four percent property tax cap (allowable because of the reductions in state awarded school funding) to help rebuild a surplus base for the 2011-12 school year.

Due to financial troubles in Trenton, the state decided to withhold over $1.6 million in school aid payments from Bernards for the current school year. The move forced the district to deplete its surplus funds to make school payments.

Projections from the Board of Education are that the added tax increase would allow the schools to save up to $2 million in cuts for the 2011-12 year if the extra money is raised through the proposed 5.43 percent increase. A detailed explanation of the board's rationale with accompanying video can be found in the article, "Why the Schools are Asking for More Taxes," from April 1.

How, Where and When to Vote

Polls will be open from 2 - 9 p.m. on Tuesday, April 20 at 10 different locations. Residents vote based on the location of their district, which can be found by visiting this website and typing in your address.

The polling places by district will be:

• Basking Ridge Firehouse - Districts 2, 4 and 7
• Liberty Corner Firehouse - Districts 12 and 14
• Fellowship Village - Districts 16 and 20
• Hills Recreation Center - Districts 21, 22, 23 and 24
• Bernards Township Community Center - Districts 9, 10 and 17
• Ridge Oak Senior Housing - District 3
• Bernards Township Library - Districts 1 and 6
• Society Hill at Bernards II Clubhouse - Districts 13 and 18
• Somerset Hills Lutheran Church - Districts 5 and 8
• Spring Ridge Clubhouse - Districts 11, 15 and 19

The County Clerk suggests always bringing identification to your polling place when you vote to aid the process.