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Schools

Belleville Passes School Budget

Zangari, Lombardi win Board seats while budget passes by 240-plus votes.

Incumbent Peter Zangari, Jr. and newcomer Jeanne Lombardi beat two challengers tonight for two, three-year seats on the Belleville Board of Education.

Voters also passed the $61.3 million 2012-13 school budget.

Zangari is the sitting Board of Education president. Lombardi is president of the Belleville Middle School Parent Teacher Organization. They duo ran together and each beat the nearest rival by a more than a four to one margin.

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Zangari garnered 1,071 votes. He said, “I’m excited that I have another three years to serve Belleville. After one term, you run on your record, and I have served Belleville well.”

Lombardi received 1,061 votes. She said, “I am extremely excited and I'm anxious to start helping the board continue to progress. I look forward to working for the kids, and I will  bring a unique perspective having worked for the parents groups.”

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Challengers Erika Jacko is School No. 9 Parent Teacher Association President, while Ralph Vellon started a father's club at School #5.  Jacko finished fourth with 173 votes, while Vellon finished with 480 votes.

The campaign was low key, with no candidate debates and a lower turnout than recent years.

The budget passed for a second straight year by a vote of 728 to 487.

The School Board proposed a school budget that did not call for additional taxes. The average home is assessed at $244,562 in Belleville, according to Edward Appleton, board business administrator. It is the second year the school board tried to keep the taxes from increasing, but it was not immediately known what the school portion of the tax bill is.

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