Schools facing shortfall

Princeton board hopes to avoid added budget request.

By: Jeff Milgram
   The Princeton Regional School District, faced with expenses that are $2.2 million over a state-mandated cap, is cutting at least $1.8 million from its preliminary 2003-2004 budget and will make up the rest from surplus, Superintendent Claire Sheff Kohn said Thursday.
   The district is hoping the state will permit it to increase its budget over the 3-percent cap because of increases in enrollment and special education and transportation costs, Dr. Kohn said.
   But state aid figures will not be made public until after Gov. James E McGreevey issues his budget message Tuesday.
   With a 3-percent cap, the district could increase this year’s $47 million operating budget by only $1.4 million. Most of this — $1.3 million — will go to pay for estimated salary increases.
   "That leaves $100,000 to spend on everything else," Dr. Kohn said.
   But the district faces almost $3 million more in the way of budget needs, Dr. Kohn said.
   These include:
   • Out-of-district special education costs are expected to rise $1 million;
   • Medical insurance will go up $500,000.
   • The payment to the Princeton Charter School will increase $250,000 because of an increase in charter school enrollment.
   • Heating and electricity costs will go up $65,000.
   • Additional personnel, including a special education teacher who specializes in autism for the John Witherspoon Middle School, will cost $500,000. Dr. Kohn said students now in the autism program at Riverside School will be going to the middle school in September.
   Dr. Kohn anticipates the enrollment at Princeton High School will increase by between 70 and 100 students, bringing the total to some 1,300 students.
   "We’ve had a number of requests for additional personnel, especially at the high school," she said. "Some classes are large, unacceptably large."
   Dr. Kohn is looking for salvation from spending growth limitation allowances, or SGLAs, which would expand the budget cap beyond the 3-percent limit because of increases in enrollment and the accompanying costs in special education and transportation. Dr. Kohn hopes the district will be allowed to increase its budget between 4 and 4.5 percent because of the SGLAs.
   This could permit the district to increase the budget by about $2 million.
   Board member Alan Hegedus gave the board and the public early warning about the budget shortfall at Tuesday’s school board meeting.
   Speaking as chairman of the board’s budget-writing Finance Committee, Mr. Hegedus said, "We came to the realization that there is a shortfall of $2 million."
   Mr. Hegedus expects state aid will be frozen at this year’s level.
   He said one victim of the budget crunch may be an expanded athletic program.
   He said the board will have to find money to make repairs on the side of the Valley Road Building that was used for Princeton Township municipal offices. The board wants to use the building for swing space during its $81.3 million renovation and expansion project.
   "It’s not in good repair," Mr. Hegedus said. "Some money will have to be put into it."
   Dr. Kohn said the district has pretty much rejected the idea of asking taxpayers to approve a second question, which would allow the board to go over the cap limit. "We talked about it, but are reluctant to do it," Dr. Kohn said.
   Mr. Hegedus said the projected budget increases will be whittled down.
   "We’re working the problem, " Mr. Hegedus said. ‘It’s a tough problem. There’s not a lot of frills left."