School Budget Passes by 3-1 Margin

It wasn't a nailbiter. In fact, it wasn't even close.

Morristown and Morris Township voters went to the polls on Tuesday, and by a nearly 3-1 margin approved the 2012-13 schools budget, 1,474 to 516. In the township, 1,138 voted for the budget while 401 voted against it. In Morristown, 336 were in favor while 115 voted "no."

 will decrease Morristown taxes by $71 a year on a home assessed at the town average of $354,000. In Morris Township, a home assessed at the township average of $390,000 will see a $135 increase. The up-and-down disparity is due to a change in equalized property values between the two municipalities.

It's the 18th year in a row the budget has passed in the Morris School District.

Four seats on the Board of Education also were up for grabs. While Board members and were running unopposed, three Township residents–, and incumbent –sought the other two seats.

In the end, Rhines easily won re-election, while Rossoff, a member of the Morris Educational Foundation, was elected to her first term. Rhines got 1,160 votes, Rossoff came in second with 988, with Barsamian in third at 410. Posey, running unopposed in the township, got 949 votes. In Morristown, Thomas, also unopposed, received 295 votes.

"I'm very happy," Rossoff said Tuesday night. "I'm very happy to be on the school board and have the opportunity to do the things important to me.

"I'm very anxious to dig in," she said. "I want to be a learning board member as well. I'm very very excited."

Rossoff's first Board of Education meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. on April 23.