Woodbridge school budget fails Yuhasz gains board seat; Molnar, Acquisito retained BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer Woodbridge Schools Superintendent Vincent Smith expressed disappointment after the budget was rejected by 387 votes last week. "We had good success with the budget over the last six years, and I'm not sure the reason [why the budget was voted down]. … This was a good budget, with new curriculum and the implementation of a middle school sports program," he said. Residents headed to the polls on April 15, with 2,756 residents voting no for the $183 million budget and 2,369 residents voting yes for the budget. The budget would have increased taxes by $112.50 per year for the average homeowner. If the residents voted in favor of the budget, the school tax would have risen 15 cents, from $4.34 to $4.49, for each $100 of assessed valued. The average home is assessed at $75,000. The superintendent said he believes economic woes contributed to the rejection of the budget. "It's a tough time for people, with gas prices and paying mortgages," he said. "Nobody likes the rising property taxes; I do believe that the economy played a lot into the [budget] decision." The school district had allotted $35,000 in the budget for a middle school sports program, and the budget included several new curriculum initiatives, including a Chinese program for grades seven and eight at Colonia, Iselin and Woodbridge middle schools and for grades nine and 10 at Colonia, John F. Kennedy Memorial, and Woodbridge high schools, and the implementation of off-duty police officers in the five middle schools. Smith said his administration would form a committee to work with the Township Council. "The talks are in the works now," he said. "The people talked, and we've got to do what we've got to do. We hope that we can have a budget which offers what is necessary for the kids, because they are all what this is about." The budget was last defeated in 2006; however for the three years prior to that year, voters approved the school tax levy, ending a 10- year streak of failed budget votes. Township Council members recommended $800,000 in cuts for the last defeated budget in 2006, made no cuts when they reviewed the defeated budget in 2002, recommended $366,000 in cuts for the defeated budget in 2001, and in 2000 they recommended $1.3 million in cuts. In prior years, the Township Council has hired a consulting firm to review the budget and make recommendations. The Township Council must vote on the final budget numbers by May 19. Two of the three incumbents on the Board of Education were voted back onto the board for another three-year term, and their challenger was voted in for the third open seat. Incumbent Brian Molnar, of Port Reading, who will be serving his second term, was the top vote getter with 3,232 votes. Newcomer George Yuhasz, ofWoodbridge Proper, received 2,898 votes. Incumbent Diane Acquisto, of Iselin, who will be serving her fourth term, received 2,648 votes, and incumbent Brian Dziedzic, of Port Reading, who was seeking his second term, received 2,550 votes. Yuhasz, who ran for a board seat years ago, said he looks forward to serving the entire community as a Board of Education member. "I plan to bring three key aspects: my resources of providing insight and awareness for the needs in the education system, my 30 years of experience in education, and my commitment to the progress and continuation in educational excellence," he said.