Schools

Updated: Budget Passes, Chapman, Birnberg, Wenik Win BOE Seats

Chapman and Birnberg are incumbents on the board. The budget proposal raises taxes by 1.3 percent.

Millburn voters returned two incumbents to the Board of Education while approving the proposed 2010-11 school budget Tuesday.

Voters voted yes for the budget and its 1.3 percent tax increase with 60 percent of the vote Incumbents Lise Chapman and Michael Birnberg led the way in the school board race, and newcomer Rona Wenik won the third seat over Amy Justice and Manish Shah.

Chapman and Birnberg were at Town Hall waiting for the results of the election along with other school officials waiting for the results on the budget.

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Chapman said it was great it was a contested race and applauded Wenik, Shah and Justice for stepping up and making it one. The candidates went through a vetting process she enjoyed. She thanked everyone for their support and noted there is a clear message for tighter financial controls. "I look forward to working with Michael for another three years and welcome Rona to the board," she said.

Birnberg said he looked forward to working with Chapman, Wenik and the rest of the board in continuing the work he's started in the last three years. "I'm especially excited to be able to work with the new superintendent come July," he said. He thanked his supporters for coming out to vote.

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Wenik said on Wednesday she was thrilled to be elected and is happy to be able to serve on the school board. She's looking forward to the opportunity. She enjoyed the election process even with its ups and downs and was happy to see people supporting the budget. "I'm gratified so many people want to support our schools," she said. "They can take our state aid away. We're going to pick up the slack ourselves and support our schools."

On Wednesday, Shah wished the best of luck to the new school board in addressing the challenges they will face. Board members are sure to need to make compromises in the future.

He was happy to see the community have a spirited debate about the budget and the candidates. "It's good to have choices," he said of the election.

Shah, though, plans to stay involved, although he's not sure what role or how active he will be. He does plan to run for the school board again in the future, but when that happens will be determined by when he feels it's appropriate and his personal life allows it.

Justice said she was happy to see a good turnout at the polls and that the budget passed, which shows the community values the schools. She also offered her congratulations to Birnberg, Chapman and Wenik. "I think they are all dedicated and passionate individuals who really want the best for the schools and our children," she said. "I hope to stay involved and volunteer this fall when my daughter enters kindergarten at South Mountain."

The budget was a clear winner in every district except one. Residents who voted at the Community Congregational Church were the only ones to vote against the proposed budget by nearly 20 votes.

Outgoing Board of Education President Noreen Brunini, who also was at Town Hall, thanked residents for their support of the budget in an uncertain year.

Jeff Waters, school board Finance Committee chairman, said he appreciates the public support for the budget in a difficult year. "We need to be mindful of the economic circumstances while we protect the integrity of our school system," he said.

But the work on the school district's finances will continue, he said. The suggestions made on how to make changes need to be studied in the school board's committees where there can be ample feedback.

In a press statement issued by We Love Millburn, however, the organization expressed concerns about future budgets saying the "tax-and-spend policy" of the district isn't sustainable and the school board faces a difficult task a year from now.

"Kicking the can down the road is not an effective strategy," WLM Chairman Mike Becker said in the statement. "Our incoming superintendent will not have the luxury of overtaxing the community and socking away pockets of excess funds as had been done by the out-going administration."

Further, We Love Millburn warned there is the potential for a $3-5 million gap in the future budget, and there will be a need to make drastic cuts to close the gap.

"As a community, we have stuck our heads in the sand, hoping for a lottery ticket next year," WLM Treasurer Jeff Diecidue said in the statement. "Because of non-transparency in the budgeting process, years of using inflated enrollment projections resulting in the obtaining of waivers from spending caps, and the apparently deliberate practice of inflating budgets to generate surplus above state-mandated caps, our district's fiscal situation has become an incomprehensible mess."

Board of Education (unofficials; does not include provisional ballots)

  • Lise P. Chapman, 1,792, 25.51%
  • Michael Birnberg, 1,549, 22.05%
  • Rona Wenik, 1,414, 20.13%
  • Manish C. Shah, 1,132, 16.11%
  • Amy Justice, 1,101, 15.67%

Budget (unofficials; does not include provisional ballots)

  • Yes, 1,864, 59.55%
  • No, 1,266, 40.45%


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