To the editor
By:
I am writing to voice my support for Hillsborough’s 2005 school budget. I for one will be voting in favor of this budget on April 19th.
I attended a very informative school budget "Q&A" session hosted by members of the school board on April 5th. At this session, superintendent Karen Lake and others provided a useful overview of the "climate" in which the budgeting process takes place. Noteworthy in this discussion were the effects of state law S1701, which in effect limits the amount any NJ school budget can be raised in a single year (in this case, 3.01 percent). While the intent of S1701 may have been to limit property tax increases, the outcome is that it undermines our individual right to determine local school funding levels.
Given this limitation, and to continue to deliver a quality education while satisfying a broad range of state and federal educational mandates, the budget cuts certain expenditures and draws approximately $2.05 million from the general fund. Such a drawdown from the general fund does place the fund in line with state guidelines for general fund size (2 percent of budget, I believe), but for Hillsborough is likely a one-time school budget "escape hatch" that probably cannot be used again next year.
Knowing that S1701 may not overturned any time soon, citizens of Hillsborough will turn their attention to today’s budget, and will wonder if it is well spent. Two thoughts come to mind.
The first thought is that the Hillsborough school budget is spent very efficiently. Note that efficient isn’t just about "cheap," although the Hillsborough school has a relatively low per-pupil cost. Efficient is also about "quality," and in that regard, we all know that the Hillsborough schools tend to rank fairly high. I liken the schools to a "best buy," they are of very good quality, and at a very fair price.
The second thought is that the budget is likely to contain some line items that I really support, and others that I am less interested in. Such line items often become hot topics of debate, and may even influence voters one way or the other.
However, I learned that such line items really don’t represent a substantial portion of the budget. Some frequently discussed line items only represent one half of one percent of the budget.
You can see the budget for yourself at http://www.hillsborough.k12.nj.us/; I saw that the vast majority of expenses go to largely fixed costs such as salary, benefits, facilities, and transportation.
The April 5th school budget "Q&A" session was an eye-opener for me. I have a better appreciation for the complex issues that must be balanced to fund a thorough and efficient education for our children, and it is clear to me that the superintendent and school board are genuinely knowledgeable and caring about the "business" they run on behalf of our children.
I’ll be voting in favor of this budget on April 19. I hope all registered voters in Hillsborough will do the same.
Sweney Court

