BY JESSICA SMITH
Staff Writer
Homeowners would see an average tax increase of about $168 under a tentative school budget approved by the Old Bridge Board of Education.
Thanks to a 3 percent increase in state aid and the refinancing of the school district’s debt, the proposed tax increase is lower than the one rejected by voters last April, school officials said.
“Nobody wants their taxes to increase,” Superintendent of Schools Simon Bosco said. “I wonder how many times the federal budget would pass if people had to vote on that. If the people who … had a vested interest in the educational system came out and voted, the budget would pass overwhelmingly.”
There is a decrease in the debt service tax rate of nearly 1 cent, but the general fund of the 2007-08 school budget carries a tax rate increase of 12.5 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, according to School Business Administrator Nancy Mongon. The end result is a proposed tax rate hike of 11.7 cents.
The increase comes as a result of hiring six new middle school teachers, as well as the rising costs related to the state-mandated education of a growing population of special-needs students. Expenses like tuition for students whose needs cannot be met at the school, along with costs of physical and occupational therapy, nursing services and a need for more paraprofessionals all contributed to the increase.
“We do get aid, but it doesn’t keep pace with the increase we have to pay,” Mongon said.
Though there was an increase in state aid, the 3 percent is lower than the average 4.3-percent increase given to other districts in Old Bridge’s category, Bosco said. The categorization is determined by tax ratables, income and other demographic information for the town.
No programs or services will be cut if the budget passes as is; however, if it is rejected by voters, cuts may become necessary.
The tentative budget, which totals close to $130 million, was adopted last Thursday by the school board in a 6-2 vote, with members Frank Piccillo and Matt Sulikowski voting no. It is scheduled for adoption March 29.
Last year’s budget was introduced with a 15.5-cent tax rate increase. After it was rejected by voters, the council and school board worked together to shave off six cents. With the change, there was a 4.21 percent increase in the general fund budget- close to one percent higher than this year’s proposed increase.
In attempting to keep the budget at a minimum, some plans for the coming year had to be aborted. The technology repair staff was going to be increased, but the proposition proved too costly to carry out, Bosco said.
Sulikowski said he thinks the board overspent, and he would like to know why.
“The community put me in there to make sure I keep things in line, and make sure they don’t overspend,” he said. “That’s the purpose of an elected official.”
Bosco countered that Sulikowski votes on the district’s bills each month, and that he has never seen Sulikowski challenge or inquire about any of them.
One point of contention Sulikowski had with the budget was what he said was additional spending on higher salaries from new positions created in the central administration. Two assistant superintendent positions were eliminated in recent years to make room for new positions such as directors in charge of specific educational areas in the school system.
“In the past, we’ve functioned very well without these people,” Sulikowski said. “They do not enhance and improve the quality of education in this district as far as I’m concerned.”
Sulikowski charged Bosco with burdening the taxpayers by appointing the new positions.
“When you give somebody a blank checkbook and no one’s watching you, you’re going to do what you want to do,” Sulikowski said.
Bosco refuted the claim, saying the board is the only entity that can create positions in the district, and that the reorganization of central administration took place under former superintendent Nicole Okun. Aside from that, Bosco said, the reorganization did away with the district’s certified public accountant, and simply changed or merged other positions, which did not necessitate extra spending.
As superintendent, Bosco said, he works within the constraints of the budget created by the school board.
“If he’s making allegations that I’m doing something wrong, he had better prove that,” Bosco said. “Last time I checked, I don’t have a blank checkbook.”