There is no way if the voters vote down a tax increase is the state going to pay, other districts will do the same thing, they will all vote down their school budgets and make “others” pay.
Other districts will not “do the same”, as they want the best for their children who go to public school (whether they are public school parents or not). It is only in those areas such as Lakewood and East Ramapo (and for some reason not the Five Towns) that the voters just don’t care to fund the public school system, and not even to fund their own complementary busing (as in Lakewood).