Details of multi-million-dollar spending plan still being worked out.
By: Jill Matthews
The West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District faces more moderate enrollment growth than in past years, but a 5 percent budget increase is expected as the district like many others grapples with salary and double-digit benefit increases.
Though it "will not be easy to do," the school administration is hoping to trim the budget increase down from 5 percent to 4.5 to 4.6 percent, said Larry Shanok, assistant superintendent for finance and board secretary. A 5-percent increase over last year’s $130 million budget would bring the 2005-2006 budget to $136.5 million. The budget is not expected to exceed state budget cap limits.
The district’s first-draft considerations for the 2005-2006 budget were presented at Tuesday’s Board of Education meeting, but no formal budget totals were released because details are still being worked out.
Unlike last year, a major unknown for the district in crafting the budget this year are the details of some staff contracts, Mr. Shanok said. The Board of Education recently began contract negotiations with the district’s teachers’ union. The current contract ends in late June.
While the district’s enrollment growth has tapered off, a handful of new teachers and guidance counselors at the two high schools are needed, Mr. Shanok said. No new full-time employees at either middle school will be needed, and trimming employees at elementary schools will occur as enrollment declines at those schools, he said.
Special-education costs, particularly out-of-district student tuition, loom large over the budget, he said. The district plans to maintain the additional aides it hired for the current school year and is exploring the possibility of additional in-district expenditures to provide better service to students and reduce the cost of tuition for students sent out of the district for schooling.
The district is expected to maintain last year’s level of funding for buildings and grounds costs, Mr. Shanok said, but transportation costs have a 3 percent escalator for contracts.
A higher capital-outlay budget, about $300,000 more than last year for a total of about $1.5 million, is a response to the board’s wish to increase funds in that area, Mr. Shanok said. He said the increase was a prudent response to the issue of capital funding, an issue that previously had been raised by the board.
A small expansion in the athletic department budget that could include the formation of a girls’ golf team and an official fencing team also is on the table for discussion but not finalized, Superintendent Robert Loretan said. The athletics expansion would be possible through a shift of funds in the department budget, which seemed in the past to be more than needed, Mr. Shanok said.
The administration also has "largely constrained" district staff to hold non-personnel costs steady, Mr. Shanok said.
In other business, the board received an interim report on its middle school program of studies report that outlined the work done by its committee to date.
The group started its study in October by exploring the positions of individual members and conducting research on what professionals see as factors leading to excellence in middle schools. The committee also worked with a consultant and conducted a survey for students, staff members and parents. The survey is open to parents until the end of the month.
But while the committee expected to present its findings to the board this month, that time frame has been pushed back to May, said Victoria Kniewel, district assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction.
"The process will be lengthy and more complex than we originally anticipated," she said.

