On April 21, 2009 the Budget passed. The vote was 2959 Yes to 1574 No or 65%. It passed in every district. The lowest was 55% in Elizabeth Fire A and the highest was 82% in Armory B. We celebrate the break in the string of loses by breaking the BOE clock.

There have been four failed budgets and two or three failed questions since the last budget passed. Since then the Board approved and completed an outside review and has televised its meeting (both pushed by TUF). It has also hired Mr. Seto as Superintendent. Perhaps those factors have lead to what is now appears to be a willingness of the community to demonstrate its faith.

The challenge now is to keep the faith. If the Board follows through on the recommendations of the outside review, Mr. Seto keeps moving the school forward and the Board keeps producing sound budgets then that faith can grow.

The clock was initiated on 03/04/06 at 683 days past the passing of the last budget. It ticked off the days since that budget passed. Below Is the message of the clock on April 21, 2009 the day that the budget passed.

It has been 1828 days since the last BOE budget or referendum passed on April 20th 2004. We at TUF see this as a sign of voters lacking faith in the BOE. We shall keep this clock ticking and updating daily until a budget passes. Then we will record that date and what has transpired in the meantime.

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