The Hazlet Township Board of Education would like to thank the voters who supported the 2008/09 school budget. As those of you who know from visiting the district’sWeb site, www.hazlet.org, and reviewing the actual budget and the material highlights, or from attending one of the many budget presentations made by the administration to PTOs, town counsel, senior citizens and at numerous other events, the 2008/09 budget held the increase over last year’s budget to only 1.84 percent, well below the rate of inflation and the state-mandated cap. In fact, the board is pleased to report out to the public that Hazlet Township has the lowest per-pupil spending of any K-12 district in Monmouth County.
The board would like to commend the administration for taking a new approach this year in presenting the budget to the public in asmany different forums as possible and making the process totally transparent. Any person who had a question about the budget was able to ask via the Internet, by telephone or in person, and their questions were answered.
Clearly this effort paid off in the passage of the budget. While the budget passed by 19 votes, a positive vote swing from the prior year was in excess of 300 votes. Indeed, while many in the community felt passionately about the budget and education in years past (both for and against), some were not aware of all the facts before going to the polls to vote. This year’s efforts went a long way in helping the Hazlet voters to be better informed.
The district will continue in these efforts going forward – not just at budget time but year-round – with the goal of trying to keep each member of the community informed. The board asks that you visit the Web site for current information, attend board meetings (meeting dates and agendas are on the Web site) or contact central administration by phone or e-mail with your questions and concerns.
Hazlet Board of Education