Board won't, so county OK's budget

WANTAGE n On April 3, Sussex County Superintendent of Schools Frank Dragotta approved a $23 million budget for the Sussex-Wantage Regional School District’s 2009-2010 school year without making any modifications to the spending plan. On April 21, Wantage Township and Sussex Borough residents will vote on the measure. The Board of Education for the school district failed to approve the $23,152,554 budget for a third time at its April 2 meeting, placing it in the hands of Dragotta, who approved it the following day. School board members Thomas Card, Marina Krynicky, Kathryn Compa and Robert Heiden voted in favor of the budget while Ann Smulewicz and Diane Snure opposed the budget. A total of five votes were needed to carry the budget. School board member Art Jacobs left at the start of the meeting after protesting that members of the board and the public were not properly notified of the meeting. Jacobs had previously voted against the budget.