West Windsor-Plainsboro school board OKs $136M budget

Preliminary measure is a 4.6-percent increase over last year.

By: David Campbell
   PLAINSBORO — The West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional Board of Education unanimously approved adoption Tuesday of a preliminary 2005-2006 school budget of $136.25 million.
   But district officials said the spending plan is not expected to go to the county for approval until delayed state-aid figures are released, which is expected within two weeks.
   The preliminary budget represents a 4.6 percent increase over the $130 million budget for the current academic year, said board President Hemant Marathe.
   The increase is driven largely by a rise in costs related to salaries and benefits, Mr. Marathe continued.
   He said the district expects to see a tapering off of enrollment growth compared to past years — about 2 percent compared to 4 percent in past years. Nevertheless, the hiring of three new teachers and two new guidance counselors is expected for the district’s two high schools, he said.
   The board president said the spending increase being considered under the preliminary 2005-2006 budget is within state budget-cap limits, which means a second-question proposal lifting that cap need not appear on the ballot, he said.
   Mr. Marathe said if the current preliminary spending plan is approved in final form by the board and district voters, it will be the third year in a row that budget increases have been kept below 5 percent.
   "I think it’s a fairly tight budget," the board president said. "Considering the increases in health benefits, the third year in a row under 5 percent is quite commendable. The administration has done a great job."
   Tuesday night’s approval by the board was a tentative adoption of the preliminary 2005-2006 budget pending the release of state aid figures. On March 8, the board is expected to vote on a preliminary spending plan to submit to the Mercer County Department of Education, which includes aid numbers from the state.
   The state typically releases its aid figures in February, but this year they have been delayed. The district needs this revenue information from the state before its preliminary budget can go to the county. The administration asked the board for tentative adoption Tuesday night in order to meet tight scheduling caused by the delay, district spokeswoman Gerri Hutner said.
   Once the county signs off on the plan, a formal public hearing by the school board will be held. That hearing has been scheduled for March 24.
   If the budget is approved by the board at that hearing, the district’s 2005-2006 spending plan would then go before district voters on April 19 as part of the school board election ballot.
   "I’m very pleased with how the budget has gone," said board member Stephen Smith, who is chairman of the board’s finance committee. "The administration took board guidelines and hopes, both in terms of a reasonable bottom line and in terms of scraping up some extra money for the most urgent facilities needs."
   Mr. Smith said the district’s older schools need some improvements to bring them up to date with the district’s new facilities. He also cited health benefits as a "very difficult" cost driver.