Villadom Times Weekly Local Newspaper

Page 4 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • April 28, 2010 FLOW Area Local and regional school budgets receive approval by Frank J. McMahon The voters of Franklin Lakes narrowly approved the tax levies required to support the local K-8 and the Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District budgets in last week’s school board election. They also selected three members of the local school board and three members of the regional school board. Twenty six percent of the registered voters of the borough went to the polls and they approved a $23,129,335 tax levy to support a $28.2 million Franklin Lakes Board of Education total budget 913 to 874. They also joined the voters of Wyckoff and Oakland in approving the Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District tax levy of $45,854,902 to support that school district’s total budget of $47,736,259 budget for the 2010-11 3,939 to 3,837. The $23.1 million to be raised by taxation for the local school district will result in a 2.1 cent tax rate increase that will lead to a $269 increase in the property tax that must be paid by the owner of a home in the borough with the average assessed value of $1,280,901. Franklin Lakes K-8 Superintendent Roger Bayersdorfer said he was pleased the budget passed so the school district can avoid further staff cuts, but he emphasized that the elimination of all of the district’s state aid created a loss for all of the programs in the district. “Now we are pleased that we’ve passed the budget,” Bayersdorfer said, “so we can maintain the quality of instruction that is expected in our schools.” Bayersdorfer noted the high turnout of voters in the election and he said, “We do appreciate the attention the budget received from the public, but I hope the residents will appreciate how good schools translate into a quality community.” Voters also approved a $44,123,887 tax levy for the regional school district to support a $47,736,259 total budget for that district. The property tax that will be required to fund that budget will increase by $1,904,231, for a property tax increase of 4.3 percent. The taxes needed to support the regional school budget will cost a Franklin Lakes resident who owns a home with the borough’s average assessed value will pay an additional $173 per year. Oakland residents with homes assessed at the borough’s average value of $485,600 will pay an additional $38, and Wyckoff residents whose homes are valued at the township’s average of $807,400 will pay an additional $99. These figures do not include tax increases associated with the municipal or Bergen County budgets. Ramapo Indian Hills Superintendent Lauren Schoen voiced the opinion that her district’s budget passed because of the efforts of the district’s teachers, administrators, and trustees, all of whom work toward making education the best it can be. Helpful Hints Helpful Hints from ome “Make sure you know where the main water shut-off valve is in your home in case of emergency. Turn the valve from time to time to make sure it operates”. 27 Franklin Tpk, Waldwick Open Sundays 9-3 201-652-5666 Billy Says... “I am very grateful that the taxpayers are supporting the great efforts of our teachers. I’m very appreciative of that,” Schoen said. The borough’s voters also elected three members to the local and regional school boards for three-year terms. Incumbent K-8 board member Richard Koenigsberg and two new board members, Christine Christopoul and Gabrielle Gutierrez, who ran unopposed, were elected to the local school board. Both Christopoul and Gutierrez live in the Woodside Avenue School and when they join the board five of the board’s nine members will come from that school district. Christopoul received 1,122 votes. She has three children in the district currently attending second, fourth, and seventh grade and she has been an active parent volunteer in the Franklin Lakes schools for the past seven years. Koenigsberg received 1,079 votes. He is a seven-year member of the board who has one child in Colonial Road School and two in the Franklin Avenue Middle School. He has been the board’s representative to the education foundation and to the borough council. Gutierrez received 1,000 votes. She has been a resident of Franklin Lakes for 10 years and has two daughters who attend Woodside Avenue School. Franklin Lakes resident Wayne Peterson, who is currently the president of the Ramapo Indian Hills Regional Board of Education, was reelected to the one open Franklin Lakes seat on that board with 1,107 votes. Incumbent Wyckoff regional school board member Lynn L. Budd won reelection with 1,339 votes and Wyckoff resident Thomas F. Bunting was elected to the board for the first time with 1,809 votes. Sabaudin “Sab” Skenderi also sought election to the Wyckoff seat on the regional school board, but his 874 votes were not enough to attain that goal. 4 Out of 5 Ain’t Bad! 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