Voters get their say on Jamesburg school spending plan on April 19.
By: Elaine Worden
JAMESBURG About 17 people, including school district employees and Borough Council members, gathered on the bleachers of Grace M. Breckwedel Middle School’s gymnasium last week for a hearing and adoption of the district’s $10.92 million spending plan.
Jamesburg has had low voter turnout for its school elections, and the school board reminded the audience that not voting for the budget could result in the elimination of programs, said Superintendent Shirley Ann Bzdewka.
Voters will get their say on the spending plan at April 19 school elections.
Although last year’s $10.52 million budget was approved, fewer than 300 voters came out to the polls, according to Ms. Bzdewka.
"You can’t run a school district if you don’t have the money to finance the programs," said Ms. Bzdewka, who, along with Business Administrator Tom Reynolds, gave a Power Point presentation on the budget titled "Vote for the Children of Jamesburg," March 24.
If voters approve this year’s spending plan, the school rate tax will be $2.76 per $100 of assessed valuation, an increase of 10.65 cents. Under that rate, the owner of a house assessed at the borough average of $123,319 would pay $3,403 in school taxes during the 2005-2006 school year, up $136 from the current year.
The district will receive $3,658,172 in state aid for 2005-2006, the same as this year.
Driving the plan, which is 3.8 percent, or $399,735 larger than the current year’s budget, are costs associated with paying for after-school programs, reinstating a full-time librarian and landscaping and sewer services.
"Over the last several months, community members have attended our meetings and shown they are clearly unhappy with things being out of the budget," said board member Frank Hand.
The district cut the after-school programs from its budget in 2002 when it had to find $228,000 to cover an unexpected increase in the number of special education students in the district. The board was forced to end funding for the after-school programs and lay off several teachers and the district’s librarians. The district’s PTA paid for the programs during the 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 school years, but could not do so for 2004-2005 because of its own fiscal problems. That led to a communitywide fund-raising campaign that brought in enough cash to keep the programs running.
The return of after-school activities will carry a $5,000 price tag, including $2,150 to pay for things such as coaches and equipment for soccer and basketball games.
The district also will be providing its own sewer service, at $4,000, and will pay $14,695 for lawn maintenance. Both have been provided by the borough since they were cut from defeated school budgets. The cost of a full-time librarian is $46,152.
"The message that we heard from you was that those programs were important to you," Ms. Bzdewka said.
Other items in the budget include $2,000 to institute the Terra Nova test for first-graders, $26,701 for a full-time test prep teacher and $6,500 to pay for an additional special education student.
"I thought it was imperative to bring in a certified teacher to work with second-and third-graders we really need to be proactive about providing support for the children," said Ms. Bzdewka, referring to the test prep teacher.
The certified teacher would be someone with skills in math and reading, and have expertise in preparing students to take a test.
Also included in the budget is $2,877,441 in tuition to send 219 students to Monroe Township High School. The cost per student is $13,139.
The budget is available at the Board of Education Office, located at 13 Augusta St., Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and citizens are also welcome to call Mr. Reynolds with any questions they may have during that time.
"Children get a chance at an education at each grade level one time," said Mr. Peterson. "So we need to although it’s difficult we need to understand that those few, extra pennies we put out there are for the children."
To help encourage voter turnout this year, Ms. Bzdewka said a phone chain will be organized.
Residents in attendance said they supported the budget and encouraged others to turn out and vote.
"It seems pretty fair," said Henry Sexton, a longtime Jamesburg resident who recently purchased a home in the borough.
As for putting the sports and programs back in, Mr. Sexton agrees.
"I think it’s a good thing, I think the kids need that," he said.
Joanne Bennett, a mother of two children in the district, a seventh grader and a third grader, works as a lunch aid at the GMB school and is a member of the PTA.
Ms. Bennett said she was glad the board put the after school programs back in the budget.
"I was upset when they took that away," she said.
The board also discussed Senate Bill 1701, a budget cap law passed in 2004 that lowers the maximum spending increase allowed from 6 percent to 2 percent. The law requires districts to use a portion of their surplus to provide for tax relief.
Board members urged attendees to take action to repeal the bill.
The bill is an attempt to provide short-term tax relief by restricting administrative spending, said Mr. Peterson.
"These limits were based on the perception that there are too many administrators in the district, but Jamesburg doesn’t have a lot of administrators," Mr. Peterson said. "A lot of schools do have a lot of administrators, but they neglected to see what the impact would be like on a district like Jamesburg."
A major concern is that the bill cuts into the district’s budgeted amounts for paying for busing on hazardous walking routes, such as Perrineville Road, and unanticipated expenses, Mr. Peterson said.
"It could create a situation where you’re forced to borrow money with interest to cover an emergency repair, and bond rating companies will lower school district bond ratings because of a low surplus," said Mr. Peterson.
Mr. Peterson also said the bill restricts the use of second ballot questions through which voters can authorize expenditures of local funds for specific programs, services or projects, such as after-school sports and activities.
The board had considered placing a second question on the ballot this year asking voters to support those programs, he said.
The board will be circulating a petition against the bill throughout the district’s schools and asked that the community reach out to Assemblyman Bill Baroni, Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein and state Sen. Peter Inverso.
"It does not help children and it does not help taxpayers," said Mr. Peterson.

