Schools

School Elections are Wednesday: What You Need to Know

East Windsor and Cranbury face tax hikes, while Hightstown could see a slight decrease.

Voters throughout the state will head to the polls Wednesday to vote in local school district elections.

Residents in East Windsor will be asked to consider a tax increase, while Hightstown voters would see a very slight drop in their annual school taxes under the proposed budget of the East Windsor Regional School District. Cranbury, which has its own district, will ask voters to approve an increase.

If voters vote not to pass a budget, the document goes to the municipal governing body, which will has the option to make cuts and suggest how they be achieved.

Find out what's happening in East Windsorwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

are also up to represent East Windsor and Cranbury on their school boards.

Voting will be held tomorrow, Wednesday, from 2 to 9 p.m.

Find out what's happening in East Windsorwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Voters will be asked to approve a for the 2011-2012 school year, part of a total budget of $75.4 million budget. The tax levy would rise up to the state-mandated cap of 2 percent, and the budget would cut six teachers, two classroom assistants and three other positions.

While tax revaluations in both East Windsor and Hightstown make direct comparisons to last year’s tax rate impossible, East Windsor's tax rate would rise five cents per $100 of assessed home value, or $132 for the owner of an average home valued at $264,000. In Hightstown, taxes would dip, dropping 0.006 cents per $100 of assessed home value, or approximately $15 less per $100,000 of assessed value.

On the , incumbent and current board president Alice Weisman faces Lisa Abel for a single three-year term to represent East Windsor. The two Hightstown seats are uncontested, with only incumbents Suzann Fallon and Susan Lloyd having registered for them.

Voting will take place at the following locations:

School Election District

Regular Election District

School Election Location

District 1

 

Hightstown 1, 2, 3

— gymnasium

District 2

 

East Windsor 1, 7

— new gym (rear)

District 3

 

East Windsor 10, 11

— new gym (rear)

District 4

 

East Windsor 5, 13, 14

 — new gym (rear)

District 5

 

East Windsor 9, 12, 15, 16

— Instrumental Music Room

District 6

 

Hightstown 4

— gymnasium

District 7

 

East Windsor 3

— auditorium

District 8

 

East Windsor 4, 8

 — new gym (rear)

District 9

 

East Windsor 2, 6

Cranbury residents will give their opinions on a of about $15.5 million, out of a total operating budget of $17.7 million. If it passes, the tax rate will go up 3.9 cents per $100 of assessed home value. For the owner of a home valued at the township average of $608,331, that would bring taxes up $236, for an annual school tax bill of $5,967.

The proposed budget would restore a number of programs that previously had been cut at the , including full-year art, industrial arts and French courses in kindergarten and first grade, the book club, the school play and the newspaper (now in the form of a literary magazine). Some others, like wrestling and softball, will remain unfunded.

Three terms, each for three years, are on the township’s Board of Education. The candidates are newcomer Pramod Chivate and incumbents Jennifer Cooke, Kevin Fox and Evelyn Spann.

Voting will take place at .


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here