West Milford - Funding for the artificial turf at the high school will have to wait because the board of education decided to forgo paying more than $15,000 to begin a study on the issue. The board was going to have Lan Associates of Goshen, N.Y., provide an architectural and engineering study to determine the requirements and costs of the project, which would need approximately 7,000 tons of soil to be removed from the current field for its implementation. Instead, the board voted to draft a letter requesting the township council’s participation to apply for a shared program grant to fund the start up costs, including the study, at no cost to the taxpayers. After lengthy discussion as to whether or not such action could be taken at the special meeting, the board passed the letter request 4-2, with three members abstaining from the vote. Before the vote was made, Andrew Gargano, a former councilman and resident, spoke to the board regarding the artificial turf. He said in 2003 the voters turned down a $6.1 million referendum that would incorporate needed changes within the school district. “I don’t come here anti-recreation,” he said. “I’m very much in favor of them ... I truly feel it isn’t necessary to have an artificial field ... I think it’s a waste of money.” Robert Florian, vice president of the board, said there are certain questions that need to be answered before the board even considers the study. He said they should know how the turf is going to handle West Milford’s weather, what is it going to entail, can it be replaced with natural turf in the future, and what is the injury ratio on artificial turf versus the current surface. The board also discussed the preliminary budget, which was cut by more than $1.5 million from its original presentation in January. The previously proposed budget was just over $63 million and is now more than $61.5 million, after cuts, which include replacement science books, new musical instruments, and Alpha Smarts equipment. “We cut every new position that was presented in the previous budget,” said Superintendent Glenn Kamp. Now the impact on taxes totals 3.1 percent at $160 per average assessed home within the town, said Steven Cea, district business administrator. Midge Touw, president of the board, requested information regarding the possible elimination of supervisors throughout the district. She said there is a sufficient amount of principals and vice principals that are able to supervise the schools, and would like to see the cost difference if that action could take place. “I think you would destroy the district,” said Kamp. “I could not endorse that.” Touw said that it may be an action the board doesn’t want to consider or it might be “off the wall” but she wants the information that she requested to be provided to the board either way. The school board will be presenting its 2007/08 budget to the public at a number of times and locations. Residents are invited to attend any of the meetings. Community groups may request their own presentation. Here are the scheduled presentations: Monday, March 26 at Paradise Knolls at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 28 at Apshawa at 7 p.m. Monday, April 2 at Westbrook at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 3 at Maple Road at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, April 3 at Marshall Hill at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 4 at Macopin at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 5 at the high school at 9 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. Monday, April 16 at Upper Greenwood Lake School at 7 p.m. The budget election is Tuesday, April 17, from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. It will include the election of three board members for three-year terms. There are four candidates. They are incumbents Midge Touw, Robert Florian, Lynda Van Dyke and challenger Barbara Carter.