Post by Freehold Resident on Jun 28, 2006 9:38:36 GMT -5
It looks like the state is going to decide that we must pay more, before they decide that they need to fund more. This article doesn't exactly say this, but you can imply that the only way to catch the local school budget up with its "routine" expenses is to hit up the local taxpayer. As for the additional programs the state has mandated, how these will be paid for remains to be seen.
FR
State to mull Freehold's defeated school budget
County requests approval without reduction in spending
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 06/28/06
BY ANDREA ALEXANDER
FREEHOLD BUREAU
FREEHOLD — The borough schools are stuck in a financial holding pattern as the district waits for the state Commissioner of Education to decide if the defeated school budget should be approved without cuts.
Monmouth County Superintendent of Schools Eugenia Lawson wrote to the state education commissioner Tuesday asking that the borough school budget be approved without any reduction in spending. The Borough Council declined in May to certify the budget or make cuts, although voters had soundly rejected a proposed $7 million tax levy for the $15.6 million spending plan.
The council adopted a resolution that explained the borough could not make cuts because the budget "still lacks sufficient funding" despite a proposed tax increase of roughly 5 cents.
Borough and school officials determined the budget did not have enough funding for world-language teachers, technology upgrades, a math supervisor, a reading coach, a testing coordinator, a bilingual coordinator and guidance staff recommended in a state review of the district to improve test scores.
The budget was then forwarded to the county superintendent for action, and Lawson said her office also recommended against cutting the budget after a review of the spending plan.
"Their overall situation does not dictate that they have the ability to sustain any further cuts," Lawson said.
In April, voters defeated the $6,998,482 tax levy by a vote of 585-261. The proposed tax rate of 69.4 cents would have cost the owners of a house assessed at the borough average of $257,729 an additional $140 a year, increasing the annual tax bill from $1,644 to $1,784.
Schools Business Administrator Veronica Wolf said the district has to wait until the budget is resolved before it starts to spend money to get ready for the fall.
"We had to put off purchasing because we didn't know where we stood with the budget," Wolf said. "We didn't want to commit the district to purchasing supplies in the event that the (state) did cut a budget area."
The district usually gets ready in the spring to send out purchase orders in June for the following school year, Wolf said. She said it is possible the district will not have all the classroom supplies delivered for the start of the school year because of the delay finalizing the budget.
"Teachers would have to modify lesson plans until the materials come in," Wolf said.
Board of Education President James Keelan said he agreed with the county superintendent's recommendation against budget cuts.
"There is no way anyone could tell us to make cuts, in my opinion," Keelan said.
He said the state needs to increase aid to the district, not reduce spending.
"The way they fund schools in this state is broken," Keelan said. "They should add money to it. It doesn't seem right."
FR
State to mull Freehold's defeated school budget
County requests approval without reduction in spending
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 06/28/06
BY ANDREA ALEXANDER
FREEHOLD BUREAU
FREEHOLD — The borough schools are stuck in a financial holding pattern as the district waits for the state Commissioner of Education to decide if the defeated school budget should be approved without cuts.
Monmouth County Superintendent of Schools Eugenia Lawson wrote to the state education commissioner Tuesday asking that the borough school budget be approved without any reduction in spending. The Borough Council declined in May to certify the budget or make cuts, although voters had soundly rejected a proposed $7 million tax levy for the $15.6 million spending plan.
The council adopted a resolution that explained the borough could not make cuts because the budget "still lacks sufficient funding" despite a proposed tax increase of roughly 5 cents.
Borough and school officials determined the budget did not have enough funding for world-language teachers, technology upgrades, a math supervisor, a reading coach, a testing coordinator, a bilingual coordinator and guidance staff recommended in a state review of the district to improve test scores.
The budget was then forwarded to the county superintendent for action, and Lawson said her office also recommended against cutting the budget after a review of the spending plan.
"Their overall situation does not dictate that they have the ability to sustain any further cuts," Lawson said.
In April, voters defeated the $6,998,482 tax levy by a vote of 585-261. The proposed tax rate of 69.4 cents would have cost the owners of a house assessed at the borough average of $257,729 an additional $140 a year, increasing the annual tax bill from $1,644 to $1,784.
Schools Business Administrator Veronica Wolf said the district has to wait until the budget is resolved before it starts to spend money to get ready for the fall.
"We had to put off purchasing because we didn't know where we stood with the budget," Wolf said. "We didn't want to commit the district to purchasing supplies in the event that the (state) did cut a budget area."
The district usually gets ready in the spring to send out purchase orders in June for the following school year, Wolf said. She said it is possible the district will not have all the classroom supplies delivered for the start of the school year because of the delay finalizing the budget.
"Teachers would have to modify lesson plans until the materials come in," Wolf said.
Board of Education President James Keelan said he agreed with the county superintendent's recommendation against budget cuts.
"There is no way anyone could tell us to make cuts, in my opinion," Keelan said.
He said the state needs to increase aid to the district, not reduce spending.
"The way they fund schools in this state is broken," Keelan said. "They should add money to it. It doesn't seem right."