Officials eye curriculum post for budget cut

Millstone Township Committee agrees to cut salary and benefits intended for the hire of a curriculum coordinator from the school budget.

By: Lauren Burgoon
   MILLSTONE — The school board’s controversial plan to hire a curriculum coordinator could be in jeopardy after the Township Committee agreed to trim the amount the new administrator would make in salary and benefits during the committee’s review of the defeated school budget.
   Committee members said residents sent a message that the budget should be cut and pointed to the curriculum coordinator as the position most unpopular with residents.
   "I’m surprised at the people who approached me saying they want cuts because frankly they’re all people with kids in the school system," Mayor Elias Abilheira said at the May 4 committee meeting. "I am confident that it’s a cross section of the town."
   The committee had to review the budget after voters turned down the proposed $26.2 million spending plan by 27 votes last month. Left with the option to reduce or uphold the budget, the committee voted to lower it and recommended the curriculum coordinator position be dropped. However, the committee did so without firm numbers on how much the administrator would have earned. Estimates from school district officials put the total amount trimmed at around $103,000, or just about one penny on the tax rate.
   Taxpayers will save an average of less than $40 on their school tax bill if the 1-cent reduction holds. Committeeman Bill Nurko had asked to hold off on making cuts until final numbers were available. Instead, the committee passed 4-0 a resolution confirming that the cut will be made. The final resolution authorizing the exact amount to be cut will come before the committee May 18.
   Committeeman Bob Kinsey abstained from voting on the defeated budget because his wife, Paula, sits on the Board of Education.
   "Obviously we’re disappointed but it’s not as bad as it could have been," school board President Kathy Winecoff said after the vote.
   The Board of Education is not required to cut the curriculum coordinator position itself — the district is only obligated to cut the total dollar amount tied to the position from the final budget. The final determination on which line items will face reduction will come after the Township Committee officially adopts a resolution cutting the school budget.
   Speaking only to her personal opinion and not as a board spokesman, Ms. Winecoff said she would rather see the curriculum coordinator cut than have teachers or educational programs feel the pinch.
   The Board of Education fought an uphill and ultimately unsuccessful battle to get the school budget approved this year. The middle school referendum costs hit this year, driving up the tax rate. Although the board requested one of the lowest tax increases locally, some residents banded together in a concentrated effort to defeat the budget. Illustrating how unhappy some people were with the budget, those campaigning against it included parents and volunteers with town education groups.
   The school board had hoped the Township Committee would uphold the budget anyway. Board members pointed to what they said are uncontrollable cost increases, like utilities, tuition and contractual salary and benefits obligations, which make up 91 percent of the budget. Outside of those costs, the budget was lean, district officials said.
   A large chunk of the budget is going to increased tuition costs next year. That line item alone went up by nearly $1.4 million. Some of that accounts for special needs students, especially a few who need residential placement, but most of it goes to Upper Freehold for high school tuition costs. Millstone has to pay several hundred dollars more per student next year and will send 50 additional students to Allentown High School compared to this year.
   The pressure from rising enrollments, less state aid and increasing costs doesn’t look to be a short-term problem. In two years Millstone will send 100 more students to AHS than it does this year, increasing tuition payments. The district also will be hit with the effects of the new budget cap law. This year the district had to slash its surplus and return $1.2 million to taxpayers from the fund, meaning next year’s budget will start with that much of a deficit off the bat, Superintendent William Setaro said.
   "I don’t want to paint a doom and gloom picture but the reality is that we’re in a pickle," he said.
   The district and township plan to examine cooperative moves that could help Millstone save money while increasing the district’s revenue, like hiring the district to maintain township vehicles.