School Board: Our Goal is to Stabilize the District

Township council members took a close look at the ’s proposed 2011-2012 budget during a special joint meeting with the board of education Monday.

“We are still making progress," said Superintendent of Schools Michael Schilder at the meeting. "Test scores are on the rise. We are still very proud of what we have.”

The proposed $129 million budget—similar to a budget for what Schilder described as a “medium-sized corporation”—covers almost 9,000 students and 23 buildings.

 “Our goal is to stabilize the district this year and to not have to suffer any further losses of programs or services,” he said, pointing out that last year the district lost 65 staff positions as well as services and programs.

The 2011-2012 budget, Schilder noted, includes the reduction of nine additional teachers—six in the regular classroom and three special education teachers—and eliminates five vacant positions.

“We have reduced staff to address declining enrollment,” he said. “The growth rate has been flat for the last couple of years, except from kindergarten to first grade, when youngsters often come from private kindergarten programs."

Overall, the school board anticipates 158 fewer students in 2011-2012, Schilder said. Maintaining staffing numbers with fewer students would result in class sizes that are too low, he said.

“We are cutting our budget tighter and tighter and tighter,” Schilder told the members of township council, adding that it reflects the 2 percent tax levy cap and increased health benefit premiums.

While school staff had requested more than $400,000 in new textbooks, Schilder said, the budget allocates $130,758.

Councilwoman Christine Henderson Rose questioned funding a new advanced placement computer science course, including $5,625 in textbooks.

But Schilder explained that the course is necessary to keep pace with the “explosion in technology,” and that there had been numerous requests for such a course.

The budget includes $152,140 for three new special education students in the district who require out-of-district tuition.

With health benefits expected to rise 30 to 35 percent, Schilder emphasized that the district will be “shopping around for other vendors” and that health benefits will “definitely be on the bargaining table” when negotiations begin with the principals, supervisors and Bridgewater-Raritan Education Association later this year.

As currently structured, the budget does not include any salary increases.

Peter Starrs, school business administrator, told the council that the proposed budget reflects a 0.67 percent increase over the 2010-2011 budget, the second lowest increase in the last 19 years [the lowest was a 3.39 percent decrease in 2010-2011].

If the budget is adopted, Starrs said, the owner of a $410,000 home in Bridgewater would see an increase in taxes of $145.90, while the owner of a $320,000 home in Raritan would see an increase of $9.69.

“It seems like the budget is tight,” said councilman Allen Kurdyla, who asked for clarification of the Bridgewater and Raritan equalization ratio.

In relation to the eliminated teaching positions, councilman Dan Hayes asked if there was an impact on administrative and supervisory positions.

“Over the last few years, we have reduced administrative staff by six positions," Schilder said. "We have fewer supervisors today than we had 12 years ago. The number of principals is about the same with one per school. Assistant principals, we will have to take a look at them as well.”

Before voters cast their ballots on the budget during the April 27 school board elections, the budget will be presented in community and PTO presentations April 6 at Adamsville School; April 7 at Crim School, for Crim and Hamilton schools; April 15 at Eisenhower School; and at the April 12 Raritan Borough Council meeting.