BY MICHAEL ACKER
Staff Writer
SAYREVILLE – A tentative school budget adopted by the Board of Education calls for a tax increase and more than $2 million in cuts needed to meet the state’s cap.
Courtesy busing, though initially included in the budget after being removed last year, is back out. Board members voted 7-1 to ask voters to approve the busing in a separate question on the April school election ballot. The board asked the same question on last year’s ballot, and residents defeated the item.
Last year’s school budget was defeated along with the busing question.
Board of Education President Michael Macagnone said the board cannot fund courtesy busing for 2007-08 without having to cut more positions or programs. The board, he said, is instead giving courtesy busing advocates “an opportunity to make their mark” by making the item a separate question again. Many parents have urged the board to reinstate courtesy busing over the past year.
“We are running out of altitude and air speed with this issue again,” Macagnone added.
The tentative budget was presented Tuesday during a special budget meeting at the Selover School. The $68,068,142 package is increasing by about $2.77 million.
Under the plan, residents would see a school tax increase of $122 on the average household, assessed at $143,100.
Board member Curtis Clark attributed the increase primarily to salaries, health benefits and utilities. He added that the board is also putting $300,000 toward a new reading program, which the board put off last year due to budget constraints.
“The budget is a reflection of the community’s commitment to education,” Clark said, “and the reading program is a core program for education. Our teachers and staff put a lot of time into choosing this program.”
Board Business Administrator Emidio D’Andrea said the state recently enacted legislation that mandates a 4 percent property tax cap for school budgets. The cap forced administrators to find over $3 million in adjustments for this budget, but this figure was decreased to roughly $2 million due to an increase in state aid this year, D’Andrea said.
The board is getting an additional $781,774 in state aid for this budget, but according to D’Andrea, $584,000 of that is restricted to enhancing existing programs for kindergarten and special education. The permitted uses for that money are not clear at this time.
“We could carry it forward to subsequent years, which leads us to believe that this is a one-year aid,” he said.
The $2 million shortfall has resulted in several budget cuts, including $500,000 in capital project interest and another $500,000 for the Wilson School repointing. Leaks at the Wilson School will be addressed in the first phase of the project, D’Andrea said, adding that the construction repairs, or repointing, will be handled in the second phase.
The first phase includes the replacement of lentils or the stones that sit around the windows of the Wilson School, D’Andrea said, adding that hairline cracks will also be addressed in Phase I.
Resident John Bovery asked the board if it had considered taking both phases of the Wilson School repointing project out of the budget and making it a separate question. He said he is concerned that doing only half the job this year will not be enough.
“The town supports fixing buildings,” Bovery said.
Macagnone responded that if voters defeated the Wilson School repointing question, the board would be unable to put the item back into the budget and the building would be left to deteriorate for another year.
The board is also postponing the renovation of the track at Sayreville War Memorial High School due to budget constraints, D’Andrea said. Funding the item would have meant cuts in programs or staff.
Clark said the track has not been refurbished in 10 years, and the top layer is starting to crack. He added that the board will have to get to this expenditure in a future budget.
“Depending on the availability of funds, we have to make tough decisions on what can wait,” Clark said.
Board member Leonard Zaleski said he would have liked to include courtesy busing and the track renovation in the budget, noting that it would cost each taxpayer approximately $30 next year, or only pennies a day, to include both in the budget.
“Will the taxpayers see that?” Zaleski asked. “I doubt it.”
Board member Jill Trapp said she was disappointed about cutting courtesy busing.
“I feel bad about the courtesy busing, but I realize that it can’t stay in,” Trapp said.
Board member Kevin Ciak said he was reluctant to put an item back in the budget a year after voters defeated the question in a 2-1 margin. He said this is the time for voters to let the board know that they want courtesy busing, because if it fails again, it will not make it into subsequent budgets.
Macagnone noted that giving residents another chance to vote on courtesy busing is the Democratic way and gives those who were upset about its removal from the budget last year a second chance.
“If there was enough coins in the purse, I would fund it,” Macagnone said. “I am affected by it.”
Macagnone said he hopes the issue will increase voter participation in the election.
“If it goes down this time, courtesy busing in Sayreville will be dead,” Macagnone said.