Parents group works to increase budget voters
BY TOM CAIAZZA
Staff Writer
ABERDEEN - Krista Ruprecht wants you to vote yes for the 2006-07 school budget, but she won't say it outright. Instead, she will settle for voter registration and absentee ballot distribution, anything that will get you to the polls.
As a member of Kidz Count, a grass-roots organization made up of concerned parents in the Matawan-Aberdeen School District trying to pass the budget, Ruprecht and a group of 20 are offering voter registration and giving out absentee ballots so that all those who are eligible to vote exercise that right. The group hopes to foster stronger ties to civic duty and hopefully give the budget a chance of passing, a goal that has remained illusive for the past four years.
"We are trying to get to people who don't vote," Ruprecht said, "like kids in high school who haven't registered."
They are giving out absentee ballots to the working voters who may not be able to get to the polls on April 18.
"We're trying to up the voting. Less than one-third of the population votes," Ruprecht said.
It is this lack of community support that Kidz Count feels has contributed to the string of defeated budgets year after year. There is one other reason, though - the tax rate.
The residents of Aberdeen are looking at an 18.25-cent increase in their tax rate per $100 of assessed value this year under the tentative budget. That number translates directly to $365 for the owner of a house assessed at $200,000.
Included in that dollar-a-day increase in the school tax is the district's plan to resurface the high school football field with artificial turf and create an alternative school to eliminate the cost of sending special-needs students out of the district. These projects are expected to save money for the district in the long run, according to Schools Superintendent Bruce Quinn.
Ruprecht and the members of Kidz Count feel that spending money on these projects now will help lower costs in the future.
"We encourage people to listen to Bruce Quinn and what he has to say about the budget," Ruprecht said. "The money isn't being wasted. It's only a good investment."
Kidz Count has issued letters and petitions to residents encouraging them to vote for the budget now, when they have a say in what goes into it.
A letter released from the organization said that voting down the budget is not going to save anyone any money. It simply takes the control out of the hands of the people and places it in the hands of the Matawan and Aberdeen councils, which Kidz Count says do not know what is really important for the district.
The group used full-day kindergarten as an example, saying that the councils and the arbitrators they are likely to hire to consult would chop that program from the budget because it is not a necessity for a middle-income district. The letter said cutting the program would likely save 2-3 cents on the tax rate, but a $45 increase can save full-day kindergarten.
Ruprecht and the small group of Kidz Count members are dedicated to getting out the vote and passing the budget, but recognize the need for public support.
"It is important for the people to say 'Hey, we're gonna help support the schools,' " Ruprecht said.
BY TOM CAIAZZA
Staff Writer
ABERDEEN - Krista Ruprecht wants you to vote yes for the 2006-07 school budget, but she won't say it outright. Instead, she will settle for voter registration and absentee ballot distribution, anything that will get you to the polls.
As a member of Kidz Count, a grass-roots organization made up of concerned parents in the Matawan-Aberdeen School District trying to pass the budget, Ruprecht and a group of 20 are offering voter registration and giving out absentee ballots so that all those who are eligible to vote exercise that right. The group hopes to foster stronger ties to civic duty and hopefully give the budget a chance of passing, a goal that has remained illusive for the past four years.
"We are trying to get to people who don't vote," Ruprecht said, "like kids in high school who haven't registered."
They are giving out absentee ballots to the working voters who may not be able to get to the polls on April 18.
"We're trying to up the voting. Less than one-third of the population votes," Ruprecht said.
It is this lack of community support that Kidz Count feels has contributed to the string of defeated budgets year after year. There is one other reason, though - the tax rate.
The residents of Aberdeen are looking at an 18.25-cent increase in their tax rate per $100 of assessed value this year under the tentative budget. That number translates directly to $365 for the owner of a house assessed at $200,000.
Included in that dollar-a-day increase in the school tax is the district's plan to resurface the high school football field with artificial turf and create an alternative school to eliminate the cost of sending special-needs students out of the district. These projects are expected to save money for the district in the long run, according to Schools Superintendent Bruce Quinn.
Ruprecht and the members of Kidz Count feel that spending money on these projects now will help lower costs in the future.
"We encourage people to listen to Bruce Quinn and what he has to say about the budget," Ruprecht said. "The money isn't being wasted. It's only a good investment."
Kidz Count has issued letters and petitions to residents encouraging them to vote for the budget now, when they have a say in what goes into it.
A letter released from the organization said that voting down the budget is not going to save anyone any money. It simply takes the control out of the hands of the people and places it in the hands of the Matawan and Aberdeen councils, which Kidz Count says do not know what is really important for the district.
The group used full-day kindergarten as an example, saying that the councils and the arbitrators they are likely to hire to consult would chop that program from the budget because it is not a necessity for a middle-income district. The letter said cutting the program would likely save 2-3 cents on the tax rate, but a $45 increase can save full-day kindergarten.
Ruprecht and the small group of Kidz Count members are dedicated to getting out the vote and passing the budget, but recognize the need for public support.
"It is important for the people to say 'Hey, we're gonna help support the schools,' " Ruprecht said.
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