School Budget Approved Overwhelmingly

Haddonfield voters approved the $31.9 million school budget Wednesday by a nearly 73 percent margin, according to unofficial results tallied at borough hall.

Only about 16 percent of 8,719 registered voters cast ballots, approving the budget by a 1009 to 377 count. The official vote will take several days to tally by including write-in, mail-in and provisional ballots.

Four incumbent school board candidates running unopposed for reelection all kept their seats on the nine-member board. They are Drew Hansen, Dennis Kelleher, Glenn Moramarco and Heather Paoli. They received 997, 989, 993 and 994 votes, respectively. One notable write-in vote was cast for Gov. Chris Christie.

Board President Steve Weinstein congratulated the candidates and several other board members who gathered in the courtroom at borough hall shortly after 9 p.m. as borough clerk Deanna Bennett and Mayor Tish Colombi tallied the votes.

Afterward, he exhaled.

“I’m very gratified that in a low turnout year that we would have a 73-percent plurality,” he said. “We take this as a reaffirmation of support for education.”

Earlier in the day, Michelle Smith, a mother of three elementary school students at the Central School said she understands why school elections are so important.

 “If you want smaller class sizes in elementary school or the sports program at the high school by the time your kids get there, then it’s important to vote while your kids are still in diapers,” she said. “I think that message has gotten out.”