Congratulations to Mendham Township Schools on Budget Approval

On Tuesday, voters in Mendham Township overwhelmingly approved the 2008-09 school budget, a sweet contrast to voters' rejection of the school budget two years ago.

Superintendent Christine Johnson sent a nice note home with the kids, thanking us all for our support. Hightlights:

• The 2008-09 Mendham Township Schools' Budget was approved by more than 227 votes;
• The Mendham Township Schools' budget received 604 "YES" votes;
• For two straight years, our total number of "YES" votes surpassed the number of voters who visited the polls on Election Day in 2005 and 2006;
• What an amazing accomplishment!

"My pride in [Tuesday's] victory stems from the active participation of our Home and School Association, active parents, excited children, and a conscientious staff. Everyone expressed interest in learning more about our budget in the months leading up to the vote and so many of you voiced your opinions. Our students in both schools were given a tremendous opportunity to learn about the voting process and actively participate in a budget vote in each school. Our dynamic teachers jumped on board and took every opportunity to incorporate valuable civics lessons. Diana Price, Susanne Ricca, Joan Bundshuh, and their team of parent helpers, successfully designed and carried out a very effective 'Get Out the Vote' strategy and truly beneficial learning experience for our students. Mendham Township School District's primary focus is on providing high quality programs for our children. This requires active participation at the pools and educating all community members about our budget and the voting process. This year's results indicate a continuing commitment to the children and our schools." -- Christine Johnson, Superintendent of Schools, Mendham Township, NJ

We will be sad to see Superintendent Christine Johnson leave the Mendham Township school district in mid-May, but we wish her all the best in her new post in Boonton, NJ.

In addition to the budget vote, Larry Paragano and Marcia Peters were re-elected to serve on the Mendham Township Board of Education.

School budgets in Mendham Borough and Chester also passed, but by a narrower margin.