Seven area school budgets go down in defeat; 2 tied Wednesday, April 18, 2007 • By SARA K. SATULLO • The Express-Times Phillipsburg's was the only Warren County school budget defeated Tuesday night, while six out of 30 school budgets in Hunterdon County were rejected. School budgets in Holland Township and Stockton were tied as of midnight, according to unofficial results. This year only Delaware Valley Regional School District's budget failed, unlike 2006 when only one of the four regional districts' budgets passed. In Hunterdon, defeated budgets include Milford Borough and Kingwood, Clinton, Franklin and Readington townships. Last year, voters rejected 10 budgets in Warren County and 15 in Hunterdon. Clinton Township school officials knew it wouldn't be easy to ask voters to approve a budget seeking to raise $4.4 million in new taxes. It was shot down by 345 votes. Voters have rejected three of the district's past four proposed budgets, which didn't include the staggering 18 percent tax hike in Tuesday's proposal. The proposed plan, which includes a nearly $22.7 million general fund, would raise taxes $150 per $100,000 of assessed home value. Costs to open the district's new middle school in September account for most of the spike, school officials have said. Last year, South Hunterdon Regional High School's budget was one of just four regional high schools in Hunterdon County to win voter approval. This year only Delaware Valley's $15.8 million budget failed. Superintendent Robert Walsh said now it is his job to work with the municipalities to create an acceptable budget. "I'm very disappointed in the results after we worked very hard at putting together a responsible budget," Walsh said. "We understand things are difficult in the current fiscal climate." The proposed North Hunterdon/Voorhees Regional High School budget features the district's smallest spending increase in the past 10 years. All but two of 12 sending districts are expected to see a decrease in their high school taxes, according to the district's Web site. A $4.9 million surplus leftover from the 2005-06 school year was incorporated into the 2007-08 budget, helping keep taxes down. The district's last four budgets have been defeated. Phillipsburg school district voters shot down a $61.1 million school budget that includes the largest school tax increase in a decade. Including municipal taxes, the average Phillipsburg homeowner would see taxes go up by $107. The 7-cent hike on the tax rate is in part due to a state-mandated tax raise to cover a $271,000 cut in school aid. New Jersey's 31 economically disadvantaged Abbott school districts were given the option from the state Department of Education to take a 3 percent hike in state aid or submit a flat-funded budget and then appeal for court-mandated state assistance. The school district opted to take a 3 percent increase from the state this year. "I'm sorry to hear that but we will have to take a look at that budget and make a determination tomorrow when we get into the office," Phillipsburg's Superintendent Gordon Pethick said. Great Meadows Regional's budget passed by only 18 votes. Liberty Township is in a major push to separate from the district, despite opposition from Warren County School Superintendent William King. Liberty town officials say creating their own district will cut taxes by $1.6 million because of an increase in state aid. Liberty residents pay more per pupil in the regional district than Independence residents. About one-third of the district's 1,450 students come from Liberty but the township pays 37 percent of the budget. Reporter Sara K. Satullo can be reached at 908-475-2174 or by e-mail at ssatullo@express-times.com. © 2007 The Express-Times. Used with permission.