Voters Pass BOE Budget Referendum

The Lacey School District's 2011-12 budget will survive as drafted, as 57 percent of voters approved the tax levy on Wednesday's ballot, according to Municipal Clerk Veronica Laureigh.

A total of 2,263 residents voted "yes" for the $39,413,121 tax levy in support of the school board’s $68,886,794 budget. 

“We are very happy about the outcome,” board Vice President Jack Martenak said. “What we always say on the board is that what makes Lacey Township and the Lacey school district a great district is the great community support that we get whether that support comes at home, comes in the schools, or comes at the voting booth on election day. That support is what makes Lacey Township schools great, and we never take that support for granted.”

President Bruce Carney and Martenak were elected to serve new terms. Both incumbents ran unopposed although there were write-ins that gained 190 votes.

“Running unopposed is always tough to know what the outcome means but I think the budget vote outcome is an endorsement that we on the board are taking the township and the school district in the right direction and that we’re offering a quality product in our schools at a very affordable price to the taxpayer,” Martenak said.

The support for the budget came from a combination of maintaining programs and services that parents and students deserve and the Board of Education’s push for a zero percent tax increase, Martenak said.

A total of 3,954 residents out of 18,366 registered voters came out to the polls, a number that surprised school district Business Administrator James Savage. Typically the school election attracts 14 to 18 percent of registered voters, but this election drew 21.5 percent.

While Savage thought the reason for a large turnout was an increase in publicity, Martenak believes parents have become more concerned.

“I think this year we had a lot of parents that came out that were genuinely concerned about the future of the district that supported the budget that maintained a high quality education for their children,” he said.

Now that the budget has passed, the Board of Education can move forward on its goals for the upcoming school year. Areas of focus include improving test scores and college preparation as well as implementing a new elementary math curriculum and a technology-reading program for special education students, Martenak said.

“We are going to keep things moving forward,” Carney said. “We feel we’re on a pretty decent track, and we’re not going to get derailed.”

The Board of Education is going to continue to work hard at maintaining classroom sizes as well as keeping all sports and extracurricular programs intact, which is an area that could have been threatened had the budget failed, Carney said.

“I’ve said it several times in graduation speeches, an involved student is a happy student. We’re going to keep them involved,” Carney said.

As for the polls, residents were consistently coming in and out and there was an overwhelming amount of support for the budget.

“I voted to pass the budget to make sure teachers get paid and the district runs,” Laura Rubin said.

Some residents expressed patriotism as they said they were “exercising their right to vote.”

“It’s the great American right. You don’t have the right to complain if you don’t vote,” Marty Martinez said.

Education is paramount, resident after resident said.

“Education is important. What goes around comes around. We’re educating the future presidents of America,” an anonymous female voter said.

Joan Ivers, a resident with two grandchildren in the school system said, “They need a good education and you have to support the budget to do that.”

Some teachers from other school districts came out to vote for a variety of reasons including maintaining quality education and their positions.

“If it’s not spent on education, it will be spent in another area. If people have a good education, they should be able to support themselves,” Maddie Stapleton said.

Others said that there is no reason to say no.

“There’s no increase. There is no reason to vote against it,” Ralph Lucas said.

“We never take the community’s support for granted but I am very happy that we passed this budget and that the community turned out and expressed their opinion at the polls,” Martenak said.

Since 1971, 37 budget referendums have passed while 18 were defeated. Last year, the budget was defeated and went to the township committee.

Below are the results provided by Laureigh. These results are unofficial until the county certifies them.

Budget Referendum

Votes

%

Yes

2,263

57.23

No

1,849

46.76

The Candidates

Votes

Bruce Carney

2,527

Jack Martenak

2,424

For a breakdown of the election results see the attached .pdf.