By Eileen Oldfield, Staff Writer
Final budget spares nearly 30 positions, but cuts 13 others
A crowd of about 100 residents cheered and clapped after the Board of Education gave final approval to a $109 million school budget for the April 21 election ballot at Monday’s meeting.
Six board members voted in favor of the budget, and members Frank Blandino, John Donnadio and Greg Gillette voted against it.
While the $109,201,188 budget does not go to the state-set 4 percent limit to increased spending, it is a 2.7 percent increase over this year’s $106,331,394 budget, and an increase from several budget scenarios administrators originally proposed.
The approved budget notes a $1,249,413 increase in state aid, which allowed administrators to reinstate several staff and program cuts initially needed to keep taxes low.
The approved budget increases the tax rate by 1 cent per $100 of assessed value, from $1.96 to $1.97. A property owner assessed at the township average of $375,000 would see the school portion of the property tax bill increase by $35.50, to $7,385.50.
”The budget we have before you is a fiscally responsible budget,” district Superintendent Edward Forsthoffer said prior to the board’s vote. “The budget we put together has the least impact on our programs.”
The budget keeps several existing staff positions that were cut in Dr. Forsthoffer’s proposed budget, including a high school guidance counselor, two teachers for the middle school’s program for gifted students (REACH), a high school media center assistant, a middle school media center assistant, a child study team secretary, six instructors working with remedial and poorly performing students, 18 special education aides, non-conference athletics staff cuts, an Auten Road Intermediate School secretary/clerk, a science specialist for kindergarten through sixth-grade, assistant football, fall cheerleading and winter cheerleading coaches, an elementary school music teacher, and an elementary school art teacher.
The budget includes several staff training conferences as well, funds one of the three new telephone systems the district needs, and permits several computers for the Special Education Department and Child Study Team to be purchased.
But the budget still cuts 13 existing positions: three elementary school teachers, a middle school reading content teacher, seven special education aides, a high school applied technology supervisor, and a kindergarten through sixth grade REACH teacher. The three elementary school positions would not affect class size, and the reading content specialist position is a position the district would not fill after the current teacher retires in June, Dr. Forsthoffer said.
The budget cut several projects, and reduced funding for several others, too. Projects cut include a high school music lab upgrade, additional workstation computers, and purchasing student information software. Areas seeing reductions — which can include simply seeing fewer supplies — include central office supplies, testing, middle school intramural sports, extraordinary aid supplies, and language-disabled supplies.
The teachers speaking at the meeting noted that while the budget does not go to the 4 percent cap, it prevents several staff cuts.
”While this budget does not go to the cap, it is a budget that does maintain the integrity of the educational value of the district,” Daynon Blevins, a middle school teacher and first vice president of the Hillsborough Education Association, said.
For Cynthia Voorhees, administrator of Elder Care Services with the Somerset County Office on Aging, the possibility of a program cut — in this case, the REACH senior internship program, which Dr. Forsthoffer said would not be cut — motivated her to ask the board about the program.
”The benefits of this program are hard to describe in words,” Ms. Voorhees said. “I see this program as a link between other generations.”
Dr. Forsthoffer assured Ms. Voorhees that the program would not be cut, but may have a new advisor or be handled through a stipend next year.
Several board members couldn’t support a budget that raises taxes, particularly when the district received more state aid than it originally intended.
”I philosophically could not support a budget that increases taxes and cut staff when we’ve received an increase in state and federal aid,” Mr. Donnadio said. “For the average middle class taxpayer, it’s not just the $40 or $50. It’s sales tax; income tax, that keeps adding up every year. At the end of the day, I’m not going to support the budget because of that philosophical reason.”
”I think regularly, in the public vote, it’s split about 50-50,” Greg Gillette said. “I’d be surprised if we all agreed on the budget this year. If we voted 9 (in favor) –0 (against), I’d say we weren’t representing the town.”
Other board members described the budget as a compromise between keeping taxes in check and providing for students.
”I think what was ultimately decided on was a compromise,” board President Neil Hudes said. “It’s not best for either ‘side’s’ philosophy.”
But the budget comes down to the taxpayers’ decision, during school elections.
”I think this budget is a good budget and strikes a reasonable compromise,” Marc Rosenberg said. “The ball will be in your (the taxpayers’) court in about five minutes. … so please, everybody, take 10 minutes on April 21 and vote.”

