Board agrees to ax $5.5K in Springfield budget

Cuts will reduce tax rate by a quarter-cent

By: Vanessa S. Holt
   SPRINGFIELD — The Board of Education agreed to trim $5,500 from the defeated school budget Monday night during a meeting with the Township Council, cutting school field trips to reduce the tax rate by a quarter-cent.
   The $3.6 million budget, which included a $2.2 million tax levy, was defeated by voters on April 15 by a vote of 203 to 229.
   Under the budget rejected by voters, the tax rate would have increased by 4.5 cents from $1.051 to $1.096 per $100 of assessed property value, an increase of $71 for the owner of a home valued at the township average, $159,200. The average school tax bill would be $1,744 under the proposed budget.
   Under the revised budget, the tax rate will go by 4.25 cents to $1.094 and the average tax bill would be $1,741.
   "It was a very congenial meeting of people who care about children," said Superintendent Helena Kosoff on Tuesday. "I think it was a discreet balance between concern for the taxpayers and concern for education and the unnecessary demands made by the New Jersey Department of Education."
   Ms. Kosoff had asked that nothing be cut from the budget, but the Township Council requested a $5,500 cut, trimming the $2,236,367 tax levy to $2,230,867.
   "I think we all appreciate the situation that the school board was in and we understand that without any increases in state aid and with all the other increased expenses that it’s very difficult to cut the budget," said Mayor William Pettit.
   "We cut it by $5,500 which amounts to a quarter of a cent, which some people would say is nothing but we did the best we could. If they had been out there to hear the testimony and understand what the school board and council goes through they’d get a better understanding of it," Mayor Pettit said.
   "We looked and said, ‘Where can we cut?’" said Ms. Kosoff. "Everything goes up — salaries, medical benefits, gasoline, out-of-district special education."
   Ms. Kosoff said class field trips were selected because they could be financed through grants, fund-raising or through the efforts of the Springfield Township Education Foundation and Home and School Association, two groups that raise money for school programs.