The Haworth Public School, with 468 full-time students, will be funded by an $8 million budget this year after voters passed the school budget tonight.
Although official results were pending, about 311 residents voted to approve the school budget, said Superintendent and Business Administrator David Eichenholtz.
Approximately 154 residents voted the budget down, said Borough Clerk Ann Fay.
Haworth residents will have to pay $6.7 million to support the school budget, according to the municipality’s 2008 budget statement distributed to the Board of Education in March.
A taxpayer with a home assessed at an average $585,200 will pay $55 more in taxes this year to pay for the school, according to the statement.
Two new board members were voted in, tasked with setting policy as to how the money will be used.
Anna Reduce, a mother and former Tenafly schoolteacher turned staff developer, received the most votes with 387. Reduce ran on the platform of being an involved parent of two daughters and former educator.
Warren Sutnick, nine-year resident, father and attorney, also claimed a seat on the board after receiving an unofficial 334 votes.
Albrecht received 218 votes. Karen Fass did not run for reelection.
Earlier today at the polls, voters’ minds were made up before they cast their ballots.
Parent Dave Dubin adamantly supported the budget.
"It’s a necessity," he said. "We are looking to attract good teachers and maintain facilities."
But, Dubin said, other residents might look at the cost of the school budget differently.
Steven Gavosto is one of those residents. He voted the budget down, advocating for more fiscal control. Gavosto, whose son went through Haworth Public School, said the $8 million budget should be voted down, cut and sent to the Haworth mayor and council for review.
"Teachers get everything," he said. "If you vote it down you could take some money off the top. Haworth gets the shaft in the regional high school too."
Gavosto, who predicted the budget would pass by a margin of 60 percent, said there just isn’t enough support from people who have his outlook that rejecting the budget would mean more financial responsibility.
"There never is," he said.
