Valley school budget plan gets preliminary approval

The budget is scheduled for a public hearing and final adoption vote at Stony Brook Elementary School on March 26

By John Tredrea
   A proposed $68,660,647 school budget for 2007-2008 was tentatively adopted by the Hopewell Valley Regional Board of Education Monday night.
   The budget — which is going to the county superintendent of schools for approval — is scheduled for a public hearing and final adoption vote at Stony Brook Elementary School on March 26. That is the last day the board can change the budget. The proposed spending plan will go before the voters, along with school board candidates, on April 17, when school district elections will be held statewide.
   The proposed spending plan also includes a $1,714,000 separate ballot question for renovations, security improvements, roofing, sidewalks, energy use upgrades and other items at district schools. See related account on Page 6A this week.
   School officials said that if the budget and separate ballot question were approved by the voters in their current form, school taxes would go up an estimated $20 next year for a Hopewell Township home assessed at $549,400, the township average. If the budget passed but the separate question failed, township school taxes for such a residence would go down $35 next year.
   For a Pennington house assessed at $527,000, the borough average, taxes would go up $137 next year if the budget and separate ballot question passed. If just the budget passed, taxes would go up $84.
   For a Hopewell Borough home assessed at $452,312, the borough average, approval of both the budget and ballot question would bring an annual school tax increase of $321. If just the budget passed, taxes would go up $231.
   Other estimated tax impact statistics obtained from the school district state that, if the budget and ballot question were both approved, the school tax rate for the average-assessed-value Hopewell Township residence would go up 3 cents per $100 of assessed property value, to $1.13. This would translate to an estimated annual school tax of $6,208. If just the budget passed, the tax rate would go up 2 cents, yielding an estimated annual tax bill of $6,153.
   In Pennington, approval of both budget and separate question would result in a tax rate increase of 3 cents, to $1.11. This would result in an estimated school tax bill of $5,850 for 2007-2008 for the average-assessed value Pennington house. If just the budget passed, the tax rate would go up 2 cents, bringing an estimated school tax bill of $5,797 for that house in 2007-2008.
   In Hopewell Borough, approval of both the budget and separate ballot question would result in a school tax rate increase of 7 cents, to $1.13. This would bring next year’s school tax bill to $5,111 for the average-assessed-value borough residence. If just the budget passed, the tax rate would go up 5 cents, bringing a tax bill of $5,021.
   Under the proposal, the school district would pay two-thirds of the cost of nonmandated hazardous busing. Parents would pay the remaining one-third unless their municipal government chose to fund it.
   The Hopewell Township Committee voted 4-1 on March 5 not to pay for any nonmandated hazardous busing. The committee will not change its mind about that, township Mayor Vanessa Sandom said Tuesday. Pennington has yet to make a decision on the matter. The Pennington Borough Council has scheduled a special meeting next Monday, at 7 p.m. at Borough Hall, to deal with the busing issue. Only three students from Hopewell Borough are affected by the issue, school officials have said.
   Although he voted in favor of the tentative budget, school board member Mel Myers of Hopewell Borough indicated he might vote the other way on final adoption unless the budget’s stance on hazardous busing is changed.
   "I have reservations about placing the burden for hazardous busing on parents," Mr. Myers said.
   Parent Aaron Delliera of Titusville also had a problem with the busing issue. He questioned the district’s "priorities" after noting the proposed spending plan includes $20,000 to start a marching band at Central High School along with possible parental payment for hazardous busing. Mr. Delliera stressed the band itself was not a problem and that he thought it would be "great" to have one.
   A local tax levy of $57,264,391 is included in the budget tentatively adopted by the board. State aid will contribute $4,260,499 to the bottom line. The budget also includes $4,289,009 of debt service, which must be paid and is not subject to voter approval. Tuition, federal grants, transportation fees and miscellaneous revenues account for the balance of the budget. In a departure from previous years, the budget seeks no cap waivers from the state. State budget cap laws restrict the amount by which a school budget may be increased over that of the preceding year.
   Other budget highlights include:
   — Reinstatement of special after-school activity busing at Timberlane and Central High School on Monday and Wednesday. This means the busing would be available every day but Friday.
   — User fees for sports and other extracurricular activities. Specific fee amounts are not available yet, but Robert Colavita, the district’s assistant business administrator, said the current plan is to raise about $150,000 this way.
   — Probable replacement of high school auto shop with a satellite auto shop program run and staffed by the county vocational school. Some of the students could come from other high schools in the county. Hopewell Valley would be guaranteed a yet-to-be ascertained number of slots in this course. The high school’s current auto shop teacher, Richard Estelow, will retire at the end of this school year after 41 years here.
   Mr. Colavita said that approval of both the budget and separate question would increase the tax levy 5.75 percent over this year. If only the budget were approved, the levy would go up 2.9 percent.
   School district Human Resources Director Richard Lang said that, not counting transportation personnel, the tentative spending plan calls for a net addition of 12 employees, 11.5 of them for special education needs. Included are:
   — An increase of 6.5 special education and child study team members.
   — An increase of five special education paraprofessionals, or teachers aides. This will save a great deal of money by reducing out-of-district placements, Mr. Lang said.
   — Reduction of .5 kindergarten teacher, one auto shop teacher and one elementary music teacher, who is retiring.
   — Increase of one world language teacher at Timberlane, one first-grade teacher at Bear Tavern and one evening supervisor for custodians.
   — Elimination of one of two technology administrator positions.
   — Addition of one technology assistant at the high school.
   Mr. Colavita said the proposed spending plan would allocate the district’s financial resources as follows: instruction, 62 percent; employee benefits, 13 percent; operations and maintenance, 8 percent; debt service, 7 percent; transportation, 6 percent; administration and business, 3 percent; and special revenue, 1 percent.