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VOTING REGISTRATION AND VOTE BY MAIL FORMS  

Dear Ramsey Community:

The Board of Education just approved the 2022-23 budget for Ramsey School District and, as always, balanced the financial impact to our taxpayers and improvement for our schools. The improvements benefit Ramsey as a whole, not just the students. As residents, we are proud of our schools whether our children are achieving (or have achieved) there; we appreciate the way our schools are an anchor of community quality, and we foresee the day when we will place a For Sale sign on the yard of a highly sought after community for families with school-age children.

The Board weighs all of those perspectives when formulating a budget. The plan for 2022-23 rests on a tax increase of 1.45% (whereas the state’s cap would have allowed 2%). We have no control over some expenses mandated by the government, and we have limited control over others. As a people-powered organization, human resources make up 80% of our budget for day-to-day operating costs. Those humans are also the heart and soul of the Ramsey educational program, and our staff is second to none.

For the budget areas that do afford some choices, we look hard at every line and we try to find creative decreases to balance the inevitable increases. Our technology costs will rise as we expand remote access – a modern necessity for continuity of operations. We’ve made a deliberate choice to invest in cybersecurity measures. We also embarked on two initiatives to cut energy costs for the 2022-23 school year and many years to come. The District is participating in the state’s Energy Savings Improvement Program to make efficiency upgrades and pay for them with the savings. The Board also authorized the installation of solar panels at all schools, which is a big step toward getting all of our electricity needs from solar power. We are acting now to save money in the long run.

Staff and curriculum support are important investments in the educational program, but the Board is also careful to protect the community’s investment in its school buildings. The budget makes room for air conditioning expansions, restroom renovations, RHS auditorium and vestibule renovations, and “univents” that provide air filtration and handling in individual classrooms. All of that is included in the operating budget, and all of that is separate from the bond-funded improvements that voters approved in 2018.

Those bond-funded improvements are quite impressive! About three-quarters of the work is complete, and students are reaping the benefits every day: Science labs well suited for today’s needs, music rooms that are appropriately sized, and spacious classrooms for all-day kindergarten. We will celebrate the near completion of all construction this fall with a ceremonial ribbon-cutting of the Fitness Center, and we hope you’ll join us. To learn the details, stay tuned to Ramsey’s social media accounts.

Very Truly Yours,

Laura Behrmann
President, Ramsey Board of Education

The annual election for school board candidates will be held on November 8, 2022.  Those who are interested in a seat on the Ramsey Board of Education must file a petition with the Bergen County Office in Hackensack.  The last date to file School Board Petitions for the November General Election at the Bergen County's Clerk's Office is July 25, 2022. 

Voter Registration Forms: To obtain a Voter Registration form, click on the following link: http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/voter-registration-application.html

Completed forms should be mailed to:
Commissioner of Registration
One Bergen County Plaza, Room 310, Hackensack, NJ 07601-7076

Vote by Mail Ballot Request: To obtain a Vote by Mail Ballot request, click on the following link: http://www.state.nj.us/state/elections/voting-information-vote-by-mail.html

Completed forms should be mailed to:
John S. Hogan, Bergen County Clerk
One Bergen County Plaza
Room 130, Hackensack, NJ 07601-7076