School board approves 3.71% tax increase

After voters in April rejected a ballot measure seeking approval to raise $1.7 million as a permanent addition to the Byram Township School District budget, the school board voted earlier this month to increase the budget by $471,528.

This increases local tax rates by 3.71 percent.

Normally, the maximum for tax increases is 2 percent, but a new state law signed May 14 allows school districts that have faced state aid cuts in recent years to exceed the maximum once.

District officials said the additional funds will be used for programs and teaching positions.

The vote was unanimous, with Alexandria Cicchetti–Smith abstained from voting.

Julie Lucente, chair of the board of directors, did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

Interim superintendent

At the July 17 meeting, the board approved the appointment of Joseph Kraemer as interim director.

Kraemer, who retired as superintendent of Jefferson Township Public Schools in 2016, has served in interim roles in several school districts in recent years, including Jefferson, Hamburg and Sandyston-Walpack.

The board will search for a permanent replacement for Superintendent John Fritzky, who is leaving for the same position at the Andover Regional School District.

Fritzky has held the top position at Byram since 2020. He previously served as principal of Byram Intermediate School for five years and as assistant principal for two years.

Prior to that, he was a primary and fifth grade special education teacher in the Mount Olive School District for over 10 years.