The Ramapo school budget has received a thumbs up on the first try after five years of failing on the first attempt.

The $209 million budget passed Tuesday night by over 400 votes. Superintendent Dr. Joel Klein says the school budget was shot down by voters for the past five years because of cuts and tax increases.

While this budget doesn't have any layoffs, there are cuts, including from school teams, arts and music in elementary schools, department chairpersons and deans.

Klein says school votes are costly, with some as high as $80,000. He says passing a vote on the first try saves additional expenses.

Yossi Gestetner, with the Orthodox Jewish Public Affairs Council, says that with the school budget passing on the first try, voters are ready to make tough decisions and now the state needs to step up funding. He says 23,000 students in the Jewish community attend private schools, leaving only 8,000 in the public school system.