A Voter's Guide to the School Elections

Following the progress of school budget proposals through the public meetings can be complicated, and it's not easy task to keep up with discussions with proposals for both the Warren Township schools and the Watchung Hills Regional High School advancing.

We began our coverage of the budgets in January, when the Warren Township Board of Education sought to gather input on the budget priorities of residents.

The Warren Township School District is seeking approval of its proposed $34.6 million budget , as well as the election of three board of education members, with Tia Alocco and John De Bellis and incumbent Mildred Spiller in the running. The budget was approved with few changes from the levels initially reported at its introduction.

The  WHRHS board also approved a budget for voters with few changes from its $37.4 million introduced total. We also reported on the candidates filing for election, and included video interviews with those willing to participate, including Sondra Fechtner and Lisa DiMizio.

Both districts received some good news in Gov. Chris Christie's budget speech on Feb. 23, with township schools picking up $526,719 in state aid, up from $139,398  last year, and the Watchung Hills Regional district gaining $345,607 for special education costs.

Officials in both districts had expressed concerns about an end to the state's practice of paying the FICA taxes for districts, which threatened to add millions to their budgets. That fear has not been realized yet, but some remain wary of the possibility.

Remember: some voting districts have had polling locations moved — be sure to double check where your district is voting. Check the sample ballots mailed last week by the Somersey County Board of Elections, or call the township clerk's office.