Candidates expand on how they feel about budget

The four candidates competing for two seats on the Brick Township school board all agree on one thing — the school budget is the toughest thing that school officials have to grapple with.

Incumbent Frank Pannucci has joined forces with newcomer Dan Rosa for the election April 19. Dr. William Boyan, currently a school board member, has paired with Virginia Reinhold, who is running for the school board for the first time. Which of the four candidates will serve on the board will be determined by voters at the polls between 2 and 9 p.m. next Tuesday.

During recent interviews, the four candidates offered more insight into how the feel about the school budget and how the Board of Education operates.

On the school budget

When it comes to the school budget, Pannucci said during a recent interview that he feels that residents fear dramatic changes in the tax rate.

“It’s not just the seniors that are afraid of high taxes,” Pannucci said.

Last year the Township Council was given the task of cutting the 15.4-cent tax rate increase after it failed to earn support from the voters. Pannucci said he fears the same thing will happen with this year’s proposed 12.5-cent tax rate increase.

Pannucci’s running mate, Rosa, said he would hate to see the budget end up in the Township Council’s hands.

“It’s a shame. Why can’t we do it right from the beginning?” Rosa asked, referring to the school board. Boyan said that he feels the school district has been “fiscally prudent.”

“It’s not a matter of us overspending; it’s a matter of our revenues not increasing,” Boyan said.

Certain costs, such as special education, are mandated but not funded by the federal government, Boyan said. In addition, insurance and fuel costs have increased dramatically.

“Expenses are going up, but revenues are not, and the only way we can make up the difference is to increase the tax levy,” Boyan said.

Reinhold said she worked hard to get last year’s budget passed and doesn’t understand why more parents don’t vote. She said that for many township residents “it all comes down to money and they don’t want taxes increased in any way, shape or form.”

“We are still putting the majority of the money toward the kids,” Boyan said.

Pannucci said he feels that even after the Township Council cut the budget down to a 9.2-cent tax rate increase last year, “we survived,” and the district was able to fund raises for administrators.

Boyan said many of the administrators in the district take on the duties of supervising more students than administrators are required to deal with in other school districts.

“They do the work of two or three people,” Boyan said.

“There aren’t enough of them [administrators],” Reinhold added.

On the Board of Education

Pannucci said he is unhappy with the way the school board conducts business.

“The way the board is operating, only the finance committee has any input,” Pannucci said during a recent interview.

The committees should make recommendations and then board members should have a chance to ask questions before taking a vote, Pannucci said. Rosa said he agrees and that there needs to be more teamwork among board members.

Boyan said there are two board members on each committee and the board president sits on each board. He said the time to bring up questions is at board meetings; the committees do the preliminary work.

Reinhold said she feels board members have a chance to voice their opinion and they get to vote.

“You can’t get much fairer than that,” Reinhold said.

On why they’re running

Pannucci said he is running for the board again this year because “there’s so much more to do.

“I think I’m a valuable person [and I want] to give back,” Pannucci said.

Rosa said he has two children in the school system now and feels he can help school officials find ways to save money.

“I see myself as a leader and a winner,” Rosa said. “I’m a big fan of squeezing as much orange juice out of an orange as I can.”

Boyan said he is running again because he wants to push for high-quality education, as well as fiscal responsibility.

“I think I have a lot to offer. I still think there’s a lot to be done,” Boyan said.

Reinhold said she has sat in the audience during school board meetings for some time and now “I want to be on that side.”