WEST WINDSOR: Schoo board aims for 1.6 percent budget growth

By Kristine Snodgrass, Staff Writer
   WEST WINDSOR — The West Windsor-Plainsboro Board of Education is now targeting a 1.6 percent increase in its 2009-10 budget, more than a percentage point lower than its previous estimate.
   District Superintendent Victoria Kniewel attributed the low figure to hard work and examining each expenditure in order to prioritize district resources.
   ”I am pleased at the way our district has come to the table with sharpened pencils to moderate even further what was a real sensitivity to the economic climate,” she said.
   The board last fall directed the administration to target a 2.8 percent increase or lower this year, she said.
   ”I think the fact that we were vague up front was due to the fact that we were having the discussions with principals and drilling down to what’s happening at each individual site,” Dr. Kniewel said.
   At the Board of Education meeting 7:30 tonight in the Community Middle School, the board will address the budget topics of athletics, extra-curricular activities, transportation, administration, and operations and maintenance.
   ”At this budget meeting, we will be putting out there more of the allocation of expenses by category,” Dr. Kniewel said.
   The district plans no increase in spending for athletics. This could mean, for example, limiting uniform purchases or reducing non-conference games, she said.
   Steadying enrollment has also allowed the district to shift its teachers, staff and other resources around, she said. No new teachers or staff will be hired or laid off, she said. Salary increases cannot be disclosed because they are either contractual or still under negotiation with some groups, she said.
   Teachers are sensitive to the budget process, she said.
   ”I certainly can’t speak for what every individual thinks, but I do think everyone understands the sensitivity and the difficulty of these times and agrees that we need to focus on instruction,” she said.
   However, the district is conscious that it does not want to make drastic decisions that would position it poorly in the future, she said. The stated goal going into the budget process was to “continue educational excellence to the extent possible.”
   ”I do believe that we’ve made some very hard decisions to position us in a way to maintain excellence and strive for more,” Dr. Kniewel said. The school board will not be able to vote on the preliminary budget until after the district receives information on state funding, which is expected to occur in mid-March. As a result, the Board of Education meeting on March 10 will be rescheduled to a later date, she said.
   The school board election and budget vote is set for April 21.