March 24, 2008
This meeting was a public hearing on the annual school budget only. No other issues were discussed.
Budget Presentation
Rather than recapping the budget presentation in this email, please review the presentation on the Board's website, www.denville.org. Click on "Budget 2008" on the menu on the left, then click on "Budget Presentation" on the drop-down menu. The charts are excellent so please take a few minutes to review the presentation.
The highlights of the budget include additional teachers to maintain class sizes, addition special ed teachers to continue these programs to the higher grades, additional math and reading programs, and some capital projects, including brick repointing, fire suppression upgrades, etc.
The presentation ended with a reminder to everyone to vote on April 15th from 7am to 9pm.
Public Comments
Bruce(?) Johnson asked if the children were included in the budget formation process, and the Board replied that it is a child-centered budget.
Amy L(?) asked the Board to explain the new bathroom entrance at Lakeview that is included in capital projects. The Board responded that installing the bathroom entrance will required breaking through the wall in a classroom to create a handicap-accessible entrance to the bathroom.
Mr. Williams asked if class sizes were going down due to the additional teachers. The Board responded that some class sizes are going down, others are going up, and still others are staying the same.
Judy Ingram commended the Board on a very well done budget and asked how Denville can increase our spending to the level of the other towns in our district. The Board responded that it is now difficult to grow because the State instituted a 4% cap on tax increases. Other towns are starting with a larger base, so their 4% will always be larger than our 4%. Second questions will help our budget to grow, but the Board is not including a second question this time.
Lisa Bock asked how we can make up the $260,000 in waivers that were denied by the State. The Board responded that we're not supposed to make it up -- the State wants to reduce school budgets in an effort to control property taxes. This year's capital improvements are down $500,000 from last year's budget, which is worrisome because our buildings are aging and require constant maintenance. We've been making progress by replacing roofs, boilers, bathrooms, etc., but there's a lot more work to be done.
Ted Bannigan asked about Denville's performance on tests compared to other districts that spend more. The Board replied that Denville does very well because of the support of the families and our teachers, but we're not doing as well as we could and should. We're not giving the kids the same amount of help as the other towns to improve grades.
Tina Smith stated that her child has her vote. She asked what the Town Council can cut if the budget fails on April 15th. The Board responded that the Council can decide that the budget is fine and not cut anything, or they can reduce the budget. They identify areas and associated costs to be cut, and they can cut anything above the thorough and efficient standard set by the State. The Board can accept the cuts suggested by the Council, or appeal the decision, or decide to make cuts elsewhere in an equal amount. The Board will be presenting the budget to the Council on April 1st at 8pm at the municipal building. Tina also asked how the budget will be communicated to the public, and the Board responded that information is available on the website (www.denville.org), the Pathfinder will be mailed to every resident, Board members will attend community events, and all Board members are available by email (see the website for email addresses).
Joe McCarthy asked if the proposed improvements went out for bid, and whether union contractors will be used. The Board replied that the capital projects were just proposed for now, so nothing is out for bid yet. The Board also replied that they are required by law to pay prevailing wage.
Franco Dichio asked if any special consideration is given to Denville residents and businesses for school projects, and the Board replied no. He also asked why the State was only allowing us to increase our budget by approximately $35,000 for 35 additional students, when the actual cost of educating a child in Denville is $9,500 per student. The Board replied that they followed up with the State and questioned every number, and there's nothing more that can be done.
Tina Smith asked what would happen if we get additional children requiring special education next year because our budget is so tight. The Board replied that our reserve is only $173,000, or 0.07% of our budget. Towns are allowed to keep up to 2% of their budget in reserve. We have been previously advised by auditors that we need to increase our reserve for emergencies, but we're not able to do so in this budget. The Board replied that if new special ed kids move into our district, we would have to reduce existing staff or programs, even if it happens mid-year.
Board Comments
John Paragian encouraged everyone to vote on April 15th. He reminded everyone that this vote is about the school budget only, not the referendum. The state is pushing more and more responsibility onto towns and mandating more, but giving us less.
Al Gellene said it's important for everyone to learn about educational funding in New Jersey. It's a broader issue than the Board has the ability to deal with.
Don Casse said the school system is the cornerstone of our community. Our town will deteriorate without good schools. Good schools keep up our property values. We can't operate a good school system with a zero increase.
Seth Johnson noted that this budget adds special education staff to keep kids in-district, thereby reducing out-of-district tuition. He said this is the best budget the Board could put together.
Marianna Lindsay said the curriculum committee is working hard to improve programs and she's happy that the finance committee was able to fund some new programs in this budget.
Michael Bertram stated that our budget represents the amount of money our community is willing to invest in our children. The Board wanted to invest more, but we're limited by the cap. He urged everyone to support the budget.
Vote
The Board unanimously adopted the budget.
Reminders
Tuesday, April 1st -- Budget presentation to Town Council -- please try to attend to show your support for the budget!
Monday, April 14th -- Board of Education meeting at Riverview at 7:30 pm