Approval sets amount for voters to decide April 19
By:Emily Craighead
In a brief, 30-minute meeting Tuesday night, the Board of Education unanimously adopted Superintendent Donald Burkhardt’s proposed $14.9 million budget.
If approved by voters April 19, the budget would increase the school portion of local property tax bills 1.23 percent from the current rate of $1.968 per $100 of assessed property value to $1.992. School taxes would rise $36 a year, from $2,952 to $2,988, for a property assessed at the borough average of $150,000.
The local tax levy would be $10,666,895 if the budget passes, a 5.5 percent increase over last year.
The proposed $14.9 million budget a 2 percent increase over last year’s $14.6 million budget includes three new positions in the district: a reading specialist at Weston School, a language arts teacher at Alexander Batcho Intermediate School (ABIS) and a special education teacher for a self-contained class at ABIS.
The libraries at ABIS and the high school will be reinstituted with the help of a part-time librarian at both schools.
"This is the first time in a long time we can really focus on the curriculum and students’ needs," board member Dorothy Bradley said. "This is a bottom line impact directly on our students and their education."
Dr. Burkhardt’s budget presentation highlighted the completion of all projects in the 2002 facilities referendum, curriculum and facilities improvements under the 2003-04 and 2004-05 budget and projects included in the 2005-06 budget.
If approved by voters, the 2005-06 budget would also include refurbishing the high school gym floor, refurbishing the high school track, new stage curtains for Roosevelt, and repainting ABIS lockers.
In addition to district administrators and building principals, Mayor Angelo Corradino attended the meeting to demonstrate his support for the superintendent’s budget.
"We’re going to do everything we can to get this passed so you can continue the wonderful job you’ve been doing," said Mayor Corradino, the only member of the public to speak at Tuesday’s budget hearing.
Board members also congratulated Dr. Burkhardt and Business Administrator Richard Reilly for their work on the budget.
"This budget can be summed up in one word: integrity. I’ve never seen this go so smoothly," board member Michael Impellizeri said.