High turnout in many N.J. school races

In the one of the most contentious contests of its kind, tough campaigning led some schools budgets to hard-won victories while others may face even deeper cuts in defeat, according to early returns Tuesday night.

Many districts reported high voter turnout as residents passed judgment on budgets that in most cases called for higher taxes and fewer staff and programs because of universal cuts in state formula aid.

Few Camden results were available at press time, but most Burlington County budgets and many in Gloucester County had gone down in defeat.

New Jersey School Boards Association spokesman Frank Belluscio said that with 83 percent of districts seeking tax increases, this year could see the most defeats since 2006.

But there were victors.

"We're thrilled," Glassboro Superintendent Mark Silverstein said.

The district's voters approved the budget, despite a 4.95 levy increase, which will raise taxes $130 a year on the average $105,000 homes.

Paulsboro's budget, with its 12-position reduction and other cuts, also passed.

"This is good," Superintendent Frank Scambia said. Otherwise, he said, more cuts might have taken place.

Budgets that do not pass are reviewed by their local municipal governing boards. Many districts have feared that those boards will take voter rejection as a mandate to cut fragile budgets even further.

Cinnaminson's budget was among the defeated. There, a 10.2 percent levy increase was sought to less the blow of the lost of $1.9 million in formula aid - a nearly 20 percent cut. The tax hike would have cost the average $294,500 homeowner an additional $383 in taxes.

Business administrator Tom Egan said the budget's downfall "was the amount raised in taxes. I think it was a major concern."

Another impact, he and others said, were Gov. Christie's exhortations for voters to turn down budgets in districts where teachers had not taken the one-year wage freeze - something he had been pushing for hard. Only about 24 teachers' locals in around 600 districts have agreed to freeze or cut their wages.

Cherry Hill, where district officials had held several meetings to try sell its budget, was not one of the 24. Its budget was defeated and will now go to the township council for consideration.

"It's an uphill battle when your governor is urging people to vote no," said district spokeswoman Susan Bastnagel.

Cherry Hill is slated for a nearly 52 percent aid cut of about $8.6 million, with serious cuts to staff and programs.

This year's drama stemmed from what many say are unprecedented cuts in state aid to the public schools.

Faced with a nearly $11 billion budget hole, Christie announced in mid-March that formula aid for the coming school year would be nearly $820 million less than what was budgeted last year. Many districts were stunned to hear that the cut in most cases would equal 5 percent of the district operating budget. About 10 percent of the districts, including Haddonfield, were slated to lose all their formula aid.

The formula aid-reduction announcements came on the heels of a February order by the governor to cut current-year aid by $475 million, forcing districts to spend down surplus they were counting on for use next year.

Add to that an ever-escalating battle between Christie and the New Jersey Education Association, which represents most of the state's teachers.

In more than 535 districts statewide, voters also elected school board members. Springfield voted down two bond questions; Lawnside also had a construction question on the ballot. Medford Lakes sought $47,000 to offset student activity fees and lost.

Exit polls showed strong feelings on both sides of the budget divide.

In Washington Township, where turnout was heavy, the budget survived, despite a 10 percent levy hike.

Dolores DePiero, 54, a Cherry Hill education assistant and Washington Township parent, said she voted for the budget in support of the schools and their teachers.

"I'm a diehard Republican, and I'm ashamed to say I voted for this man," DePiero said.

Bob Sallade, 67 and a retired carpenter, said he had voted against the Washington Township budget.

"I didn't vote for Christie, but I agree with everything he's doing. Companies are cutting back, cutting down, but not the teachers," he said.

Still, teachers agreeing to a freeze did not necessarily clinch the deal. Of the local districts where teachers agreed to a freeze, Woodland Township's budget passed, but in Florence, Southampton and Mantua - all districts in which teachers agreed at least tentatively to take the freeze - failed.

In many districts, residents and school officials campaigned hard for their budgets. Banners urging voters to turn out festooned area roadways. Superintendents did personal outreach, and information meetings have been held often over the past several weeks.

In Winslow, the defeated budget is expected to cause the district to close a school. Parents sent out 11,000 fliers and did a Facebook campaign to no avail.

"I'm very sad," said Christy Rutt, vice-president of the Winslow Home School Association. "we're all Facebooking and texting each other," she said. "You're talking about spreading 325 students among two or three schools."