Thursday, March 7, 2013
Taxpayers can expect a $70 increase from River Edge school budget
Facing savings residents $4 per house, the River Edge Board of Education opted to place the additional $23,000 in state aid into the $15,658,231 budget on Wednesday night. The budget, which comes in at the 2% tax levy cap of $13,508,217, calls for a $70 increase to the average homeowner. Board members initially debated returning the additional funding to homeowners but felt that the $4 per taxpayer would not yield enough of an impact over setting it aside to help with the upcoming state mandated teacher evaluations. "I will say that when I came in here I was feeling that we should reduce the tax levy by that amount since we were ok," board member Mary Kay Buckley said. "We're never going to be fully funded. Personally if we were to not …
Monday, February 4, 2013
For the 2013-14 school year, the River Edge Board of Education is proposing a major building project for its school budget to either remove asbestos or replace some roofing.
Setting aside $475,000 , the River Edge Board of Education's "Plan A" 2013-14 budget calls for a major building project to either remove contained asbestos or replace a large area of roofing at Cherry Hill School. The Board presented its preliminary budget recently based on the district receiving the same $424,631 in state aid as in prior years. The estimated $15,638,260 budget remains at the 2% tax levy cap of $13,508,217. "We have two large maintaince items which have been postponed over thelast several years due to a lack of state aid and trying to keep eduation programs intact," Board Administrator Debbie Trainor said. "Now we'd really like to address one of two major maintenance projects at Cherry Hill." According to Superintendent Dr…
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Colin Busteed, Gyuchang Sim and Wendy Walker all returned to their seats following an uncontested election
In the first-ever November Board of Education election, a small turnout and uncontested races led to the re-election of all River Edge trustees. Wendy Walker, Colin Busteed and Gyuchang Sim were all sworn in for the respective three year terms during Wednesday night's Board of Ed reorganization meeting at Roosevelt School. Walker, a former councilwoman and member of theRiver Edge Chamber of Commerce for her husband's business, Timothy J. Walker Plumbing and Heating, received the most votes of all incumbents with 1,645. Busteed, a director with UBS, garnered 1,323 followed by Sim with 1,024. Sim, a certified master automotive technician and owner of Highwood Auto Service in Englewood, was appointed to the Board of Ed in mid-August to fill …
Monday, November 26, 2012
The Bergen County Clerk's Office has released the official Nov. 6 election results
Official election results from the Bergen County Clerk's Office show no change in the outcome of the Nov. 6 local election where voters ousted Council President Paul Cordts for council and voted in a newcomer to the Regional Board of Education. River Edge also approved the Open Space Referendum by a small margin. According to official results Vito Acquafredda remained at the top in River Edge taking in 36 percent of the vote with incumbent Anthony Cappola picking up 32 percent. Cordts followed in with 31 percent. Official results are: Anthony Cappola - Republican - 2,250 Paul Cordts - Republican - 2,229 Vito Acquafredda - Democrat - 2,529 In Oradell, James Koth (2,460) and Donna Alonso (2,309) were reelected to the council in an …
Thursday, August 30, 2012
After running as a Board of Ed candidate for five years, Gyuchang Sim was officially sworn into office as a board member
Following five years as a determined Board of Education candidate in River Edge, Gyuchang Sim was officially sworn in as the Board's newest member Wednesday night. Sim, who was appointed to the Board in early August, was already guaranteed a spot in January following an uncontested election. But with the resignation of Shawn Kucharski this summer, the seat was advertised and the Board interviewed Sim, former Clifton educator Tony Barbary and attorney Robert Gilmartin Jr. Born and raised in Korea, Sim lived in his home country for 25 years before spending an additional three as a vocational teacher for automotive technicians. He also spent a few years volunteering in Nepal. "Leaving Korea enlightened me in many ways," Sim told Patch …
Friday, August 10, 2012
Gyuchang Sim has been a five-year candidate for the RIver Edge Board of Education. He was appointed to fill Shawn Kucharski's open seat this week
Running as an uncontested candidate in the November Board of Education election, longtime candidate Gyuchang Sim was guaranteed a seat on the River Edge Board of Education. But after the resignation of Shawn Kucharski earlier this summer, the coveted position was available earlier than anticipated and after much deliberation by board members, Sim was appointed to the Board earlier this week. Sim has been a Board of Education candidate since he began his campaign in 2008 at the polls and since 2009 when he applied to fill an open position. "I am a first generation immigrant," Sim said. "I attended Montclair State to become a teacher but due to family business I had to drop just before beginning student teaching." Instead, Sim went into …
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Interested parties have until August 1 to apply
Following Shawn Kucharski's resignation in early June, the River Edge Board of Education has a vacancy for an unexpired term and the deadline to apply is August 1. Residents who would like to fill this term and are available immediately are asked to send a letter of intent to the Board Secretary at the Board of Education, 410 Bogert Road, River Edge. Candidates will be interviewed by the Board of Education, following the August 1 deadline and the appointment will be made by Board vote and effective until the next election. Legal requirements for becoming a member of a local Board of Education are as follows:
Thursday, July 12, 2012
The River Edge Board of Education signed off on a new contract for Superintendent Dr. Tova Ben-Dov resulting in a $3,000 raise for the 2012-13 school year.
With unanimous board approval and the approval of County Executive Superintendent Robert Gilmartin, River Edge Superintendent Dr. Tova Ben-Dov's contract with the K-6 district was approved to allow for a $3,000 base salary increase for the coming year. The raise, which brings her base salary to $177,000, is based on merit and the achievement of her 2011-12 school year goals. Her new salary is above Gov. Christie's Superintendent salary cap due to her hire prior to its effect. The River Edge School district has approximately 1,193 students as of the Oct. 2011 count. Based on the salary cap, a River Edge Superintendent's annual salary would be limited to $145,000 due to enrollment. Ben-Dov's contract is in effect until June 30, 2013 at which…
Thursday, June 21, 2012
District will seek a new board member over the summer
After spending the past few years on the River Edge Board of Education, Shawn Kucharski has resigned from his post this week, effective June 12. The five-year veteran of the Board of Education was not seeking reelection this November. A member of the United States Naval Reserve and President of Falvey Yacht Insurance, Kucharski has had to miss board meetings in the past due to work obligations. A global insurance broker, his current occupation is located in Rhode Island, although his former employee Willis Marine had a New York City office. This November, Kucharski's seat will go to Gyuchang Sim, a local firefighter, who has run for the Board of Education since 2009. He is unopposed this fall in his most recent quest. Until then, the River…
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Majority of races for Board of Education this November are uncontested
With the move to November for the tri-district Board of Education elections, only Roger Tashjian's Oradell seat on the Regional Board will be contested this fall. Tashjian who is not seeking reelection will instead watch from the sidelines as Michael Gardner and Patrick Gallagher battle for the open three-year term. Incumbents from River Edge Joe Manzelli and Claudia O'Neill will face no competition to return to the Regional Board. Also running unopposed this year are candidates for the River Edge and Oradell boards as well. Incumbents Katherine Norian and Christine Robertson are set to resume their seats come January while Andrew Oddo will replace Louis Ferrante. In River Edge, Shawn Kucharski will not seek reelection and his seat would …
NO TO TAX HIKE
1:13 pm on Thursday, March 7, 2013
I am surprised at Mr. Walker's comment. This is how $20,000 x 100's can be wasted. Don't forget it's tax payer's money! This is about the mindset of the people whom we trust the tax money! more ›