200 Teaneck HS students attend council meeting to discuss failed school budget
THE RECORD
STAFF WRITER
TEANECK — As many as 300 people – including more than 200 high school students – flooded Town Hall on Thursday night as the Township Council met to discuss the failed school budget for the first time.
The students, who staged a walkout Wednesday morning to protest the budget’s defeat, hoped their presence would pressure the council to limit its cuts.
“We’re asking the community to invest in our futures,” said junior Rivka Rappaport. “And maybe I have a slanted opinion, but I think we’re worth it.”
Not every voice spoke in favor of the budget, however. A number of residents said the recession had made voting for an 8 percent tax hike impossible.
Resident Keith Kaplan pointed out that many Bergen County districts proposed smaller tax increases, and criticized the school board for delivering a budget that was sure to fail.
“They knew this was going to happen,” he said. “They were putting it on your shoulders. The cycle has to stop.”
The council chambers quickly filled to the limit before the meeting began, leaving scores of students standing outside the building for hours, watching through the windows and occasionally cheering after one of their classmates spoke.
The council has until May 19 to make its decision. The meeting was largely focused on logistics, with
The students, who staged a walkout Wednesday morning to protest the budget’s defeat, hoped their presence would pressure the council to limit its cuts.
“We’re asking the community to invest in our futures,” said junior Rivka Rappaport. “And maybe I have a slanted opinion, but I think we’re worth it.”
Not every voice spoke in favor of the budget, however. A number of residents said the recession had made voting for an 8 percent tax hike impossible.
Resident Keith Kaplan pointed out that many Bergen County districts proposed smaller tax increases, and criticized the school board for delivering a budget that was sure to fail.
“They knew this was going to happen,” he said. “They were putting it on your shoulders. The cycle has to stop.”
The council chambers quickly filled to the limit before the meeting began, leaving scores of students standing outside the building for hours, watching through the windows and occasionally cheering after one of their classmates spoke.
The council has until May 19 to make its decision. The meeting was largely focused on logistics, with