President Kim Newport predicted school board would approve the municipalities’ budget reduction when it meets Monday night
By John Tredrea
Officials of Hopewell Valley’s three municipal governing bodies agreed last night (Thursday) to cut $2,140,694 from the 2006-2007 school district budget that was rejected 1,548-1,141 on April 18.
The cut will be taken from the $57,202,608 portion of the budget that would have been raised by the local tax levy had the budget passed.
If all goes as planned, the cut approved by the three towns would lower that levy to $55,061,914 and would reduce the school tax rate 2 cents per $100 of assessed property value in all three towns, Hopewell Borough Councilman David Knights said.
The budget reductions will result in no job layoffs or program eliminations in the district, officials said. The cuts came from the following areas:
$534,809 earmarked for construction of bleachers around the field used for football, track and field, and other sports at Timberlane Middle School;
$328,824 from maintenance reserve funds;
$250,691 from the district’s surplus;
$307,000 from employee health benefits;
$719,370 allocated for various construction projects.
Hopewell Borough Council voted unanimously (6-0) in favor of the cuts, as did the Hopewell Township Committee. The township vote was 4-0, since Committeewoman Judy Niederer had recused herself because her husband works for the school district.
Pennington voted 4-1 in favor, with Joseph Lawver casting the no vote. Mr. Lawver said he was concerned about the fiscal impact that cuts of this magnitude, particularly in the area of maintenance, would have in future years.
Voting in favor from Pennington were David Garber, Eileen Heinzel, Weed Tucker and Tony Persichilli. Jim Lytle was absent.
Mayor Jim Benton of Pennington, who under Pennington’s form of government only would have voted to break a tie, recused himself because his wife is a teacher at Hopewell Elementary School.
School board President Kim Newport predicted the board would approve the municipalities’ budget reduction when it meets Monday night. If the school board does not approve the reduction, the budget would go to the state commissioner of education or a dispute resolution board at the office of the county superintendent of schools.
The purpose of that board is to avert appeals to the state commissioner.

