The district will hold a public hearing on the budget in April.
A school tax increase of 2 percent was approved at last week’s Board of Education work session, when board members voted on the tentative proposed budget for the 2017–18 school year.
If the board approves the budget as is at the public hearing scheduled in April, residents with an average assessed home value of $210,000 would pay approximately $4,207 in school taxes, an increase of $18.75 when compared to last year.
The preliminary budget totals $148.96 million, a decrease of 0.65 percent from the 2016–17 school year. The district will be receiving a flat rate of $51,015,305 in state aid for the 2017–18 school year.
In the 2016–17 school year, the district had a capital reserve of $1.65 million. According to Margaret Meehan, school business administrator and board secretary, a main reason for the decrease in the budget is the lack of capital reserve available for the 2017–18 school year. In regard to the tax rate increase, Meehan said because other revenues within the budget decreased, the taxes went up.
The proposed budget took into account new equipment, such as five buses, a courier van, a 3-D printer and TV/production equipment to name a few.
Capital projects include an HVAC replacement plan for Hurffville and Thomas Jefferson elementary schools and the nine-10 high school wing, parking lot replacement at Bells Elementary School, extended sidewalks at Birches Elementary School, gym floor replacement at Bunker Hill Middle School, blacktop replacement at the Washington Township High School tennis courts, sound system replacements in the core auditorium and two science lab replacements at the high school.
According to Superintendent Joe Bollendorf, salaries and benefits comprise about 75 percent of the budget.
Eighteen certified staff members are looking to be affected by the proposed budget with nine full-time positions and one part-time position being redeployed for need, five full-time employees and one part-time employee retiring or resigning, and a reduction of three positions. One secretarial position will also be lost due to retirement.
Bollendorf proposed additional staffing positions as the district aims to increase the 1:1 laptop initiative that began at the beginning of the 2016–17 school year within the high school to the middle and elementary school levels. He proposed converting eight 10-month staff positions to 12-month positions, additional support specialists, system analysts and part-time technology assistants and student workers.
“Not only are you adding to the number of units of computers that we use, but also the way in which we deliver education is being utilized through this. For example, we’re starting to phase out in this curriculum cycle the purchasing of hardbound textbooks, and now we’re incorporating those into the computers,” Bollendorf said. “It’s more important than ever that that information is available to our children. When it’s down and they don’t have access to the things they need access to, we need to be able to support that. One doesn’t come without the other.”
Bollendorf also budgeted for an additional nine part-time clerical assistants to support the guidance program at the elementary level, as well as special education supervisors, and three full-time specialized assistants for expansion of the kindergarten level autism program. A part-time secretary would also convert to a full-time position.
In anticipation of a potential cut in state aid funding within the next year, sustainability in the budget was a factor of concern for board members.
“My concern with this budget is sustainability. I did not expect to see some of the employment and hiring that’s in this budget the year before we anticipate having a major cut,” Board of Education President Ginny Murphy said. “When we spend money on salaries and benefits, we don’t have access to that money unless we are eliminating jobs, and that puts this board in a position to now have to worry about staffing reductions. When I look at this, and I may be slightly off, we’re adding about 25 positions and $869,642 in salaries and benefits to this budget.”
Board members were apprehensive at the meeting in regard to the increase in salary and benefits for proposed additional staffing required for the 1:1 laptop initiative expansion.
“Why, when we have a potential budget crisis next year, would we ever make 10-month employees 12-month employees for any reason?” board member Julie Yankanich asked. “Now, we don’t know if we can sustain that going forward.”
The budget, approved with a vote of 8–1, with Bob Abbott voting no, is not final, and changes can be made during the public hearing in April.
“This is the preliminary report to you out of committee as to what the administration is proposing,” Bollendorf said. “The opportunity for us collectively to work toward what that final budget is still exists. What you’re approving tonight is the initial proposal, not the final budget that’s being struck, and that’s an important part of the process that is intended that way so that we can continue to dialogue and work together to finally come to a budget you’re comfortable with.”
The Gloucester County superintendent’s office will now have to approve the school district’s preliminary budget. The Board of Education is scheduled to have a public hearing on the budget on April 26 at 7 p.m.
