Lawrence Voters to Decide Fate of School Budget Today

Lawrence Township voters will go to the polls today (Wednesday, April 27) to elect three people to the township Board of Education and decide the fate of the township school district’s .

Of the $64.6 million budget, a total of $57,383,635 would be raised through taxes, necessitating a 3-cent increase to the township’s school tax rate.

If approved by voters, the new tax rate will be $2.33 per $100 of assessed property value, meaning the owner of a house assessed at the township’s current average of $161,292 would pay about $3,758 in school taxes for the 2011-2012 school year. That’s an increase of $48.38 based on the same property assessment and the old $2.30 tax rate.

If voters reject the budget, it will go to the Lawrence Township Council for review and possible modifications.

Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. today. Polling will take place at all four township elementary schools, Lawrence High School and Lawrenceville Fire Co. (See below for polling location information)

While the 2011-2012 budget is actually a few hundred thousand dollars less than the current school year’s budget, the 3-cent tax rate increase is needed, district officials have explained, to simply maintain the district’s current level of staffing and keep in place valued amenities like smaller class sizes, courtesy busing, full-day kindergarten and extracurricular programs in the wake of the that Lawrence Township has experienced over the course of the last two years.

The 2011-2012 tax rate was initially expected to go up to $2.35 but the district was able to shave 2 cents off after learning that, under the proposed state budget, the state plans to give Lawrence Township schools an increase of $672,646 in aid over the amount of aid received for the current year.

In addition to deciding the fate of the budget, township voters will fill three seats on the school board. Each is for a three-year term.

Only three candidates filed to run in the election – incumbents Ginny Bigley and Bill Michaelson and newcomer Deborah Cherry.

Board member Deborah Endo, who was first elected to the school board in 2005 and reelected in 2008, chose not to run for reelection.

Bigley, of Dustin Drive, was also first elected to the board in 2005 and reelected in 2008. She has lived in Lawrence for 22 years and works as the manager of Penlar Pharmacy on Lawrenceville-Pennington Road. She has four children who have attended township schools, with the youngest – age 17 – set to graduate Lawrence High School this year.

Michaelson, of Huron Way, served a term on the board from 2004 to 2007 and was reelected in 2008 after a year off. A software developer who has lived in the township since 1985, he has a 12-year-old son who attends Lawrence Middle School.

Cherry, of Hopatcong Drive, has lived in the township for 14 years and has a 6-year-old daughter who attends Slackwood Elementary School. A stay-at-home mom, she previously worked as a special education teacher for 16 years in several districts in the area, including Trenton, Central Bucks and Philadelphia.

The school election, which is traditionally held on a Tuesday, was moved to Wednesday this year to avoid conflicting with the final day of the Jewish holiday of Passover.

Above you can watch video footage of Ginny Bigley and Bill Michaelson answering questions during a school board candidate "Meet and Greet" that was hosted by the League of Women Voters of Lawrence Township at the township branch of the Mercer County Library on April 6.

Deborah Cherry was unable to attend that event as she was recovering from surgery, however audio of an interview conducted by Lawrenceville Patch with her on April 11 (following a township school board meeting) is available above as well. 

Questions about polling locations should be directed to the school district at (609) 671-5420.

Polling District #1 Lawrenceville Fire Co. Firehouse - 64 Phillips Ave.

• Polling Location for Lawrence Township General Election Districts 1, 4, 7, 15, 20

Polling District #2 Slackwood Elementary School - 2060 Princeton Pike

• Polling Location for Lawrence Township General Election Districts 2, 5, 9, 10

Polling District #3 Eldridge Park Elementary School - 55 Lawn Park Ave.

• Polling Location for Lawrence Township General Election Districts 3, 6

Polling District #4 Lawrence High School - 2525 Princeton Pike

• Polling Location for Lawrence Township General Election Districts 8, 12, 16

Polling District #5 Ben Franklin Elementary School - 2939 Princeton Pike

• Polling Location for Lawrence Township General Election Districts 11, 14

Polling District #6 Lawrenceville Elementary School - 40 Craven Lane

• Polling Location for Lawrence Township General Election Districts 13, 17, 18, 19, 21