FLOW Districts Approve Regional School Budget

The Ramapo Indian Hills School District will avoid any further cuts to its school budget after voters in all three sending municipalities voted to approve the 2010-11 spending plan.

Margins were tight, but Wyckoff, Franklin Lakes and Oakland residents all approved the $44,123,887 tax levy in support of a $47.7 million budget that will increase the average Wyckoff tax bill by $98.50, based on a home assessment of $807,000. Franklin Lakes property owners face a greater average increase ($172.92) while Oakland residents will see the average tax bill rise by $37.88.

Additionally, Wyckoff voters elected Dr. Lynn Budd and Thomas Bunting to three-year seats, favoring the pair over resident Sabaudin Skenderi. Franklin Lakes voters supported board President Wayne Peterson, who was unopposed in his re-election bid.

The township voted in favor of the regional budget by a 1,808 to 1,755 margin, with the measure carrying Districts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 8. Thirty-five absentee ballots also registered "yes" votes, with 28 opposed. Oakland voters approved the budget by a 1,179 to 1,161 margin, while Franklin Lakes voters registered 940 votes for the budget, 897 against.

The FLOW district's approval will allow the Board of Education to implement a spending plan that came in almost $853,000 under the current budget and sharply below the initial proposed $49.5 million plan, drafted when the board was expecting a 15 percent cut in state aid. Instead, its entire aid package—$2.1 million—was eliminated, prompting the board to cut spending in a variety of areas.

RIH will not see as big a staff hit as had been planned in the Wyckoff district, although a special education aide will be let go while two administrative assistants will go from a full-year to a 10-month schedule. The district made up a portion of its lost aid in the capital line item, which funds improvements throughout the district's facilities, although the board had emphasized that the solution was only temporary, as the structural needs of the schools remain.

Athletics also are affected. The high schools' junior varsity and freshman teams will play reduced schedules to cut down on travel costs, and the district will spend less to rent outside facilities for practice. Additionally, RIH will reduce funding for three of the high schools' six university programs. The scope of a lab science program will be reduced, as original plans would have necessitated additional teacher hires.

Bunting received the most support from Wyckoff residents, with 1,809 votes to win his first term on the board. Budd, an incumbent who filled a seat by appointment, trailed with 1,339 votes, and Skenderi finished a decided third, at 874 tallies. Ninety-nine residents chose to write in a candidate.

The board will reorganize Monday night.