David Kilby

By: centraljersey.com
CRANBURY – The Board of Education will host a public forum Tuesday, Jan. 11, to discuss next year’s school budget.
The forum is not a public hearing for the budget. The board simply wants to explain the school’s fiscal situation and receive as much public input as it can.
The purpose of the meeting will be to solicit input from parents and concerned citizens and share the principles and process that will guide the board’s decisions.
"This session is not about solutions," said board member Michael Ferrante at a budget workshop meeting the board held Tuesday to prepare for the public forum. "It’s about clarifying and acknowledging that we’re seeking input. It’s all about framing the situation and challenge."
The board explained that after soliciting input from the community, staff and administration, the board will introduce a tentative budget, hold a public hearing, then adopt a budget that will be voted on at the school election in April.
Salaries, wages and benefits will probably account for 48 percent of the school budget, and Princeton High School tuition, 26 percent. Other expenses such as transportation, maintenance and extracurricular activities probably would account for the other 26 percent.
Last year’s budget was $16.7 million, increasing taxes 3.5 percent.
In regard to salaries, the district already is consolidating. It cut the salaries of 20 teachers for last year’s budget.
"We have a combined superintendent and principal," Mr. Ferrante also reminded the board. The school district always combined these two positions since it only has one public school and has no need for both a principal and a superintendent.
Since most school districts have many schools, and, thus, need a superintendent and separate principals for each school, "we will look better in comparison to other places," board member Kevin Fox said.
However, since Cranbury has such a small school district, in the state’s new education budgeting system, it will receive no state aid for the upcoming school year.
Last year, Cranbury received $769,042 in state aid.
In addition to no state aid, Cranbury School also is facing an increase in state pension payments and insurance.
These cuts and increased expenses have caused an anticipated shortfall of about $500,000 for the school district.
To reduce the budget last year, the school district had to make some difficult decisions. The board decided to cut wrestling and softball and reduce staff hours. It also decided to require subscriptions for the Princeton High School late buses so only the parents of those who took the late buses had to pay.
The board is holding the public forum Jan. 11 to see what else the community thinks the district can do to cut spending.
In addition to the public forum, the board will create a survey that will ask the community what aspects of Cranbury School are most important to them.
"If we just let people talk at us, we’re not going to come away with anything," said board member Kathleen Wasson as the board discussed why just a public forum probably would be insufficient.
"I think this is preliminary – to get people thinking," said board President Lynne Schwarz. "It’s about giving the community a place to start."
The board members went back and forth about how to place things that should be cut on the table and had some different opinions.
Some members were concerned about the vocal minority speaking over the silent majority in a public forum. Others believed the public’s silence would imply consent.
Mr. Ferrante said if the board brings up an expense in the public forum or a survey, and the public conveys no passion towards it, that’s a good indication the public would be OK with cutting funding for the expense.
But the board decided singling out expenses and asking if they should be cut would be too discriminating.
"The truth is, everything is on the table," board member Wendi Patella said.
In the end, the board decided to just make a list of all the programs, subjects, clubs, activities and other things the school has to offer and see which items spark a discussion.
The board was adamant about clarifying that the items on the list were not the items the board was thinking about cutting funding from. They were just items for discussion.
On the list created by the board, there were 11 categories – class size, instructional programs, extracurricular activities, support programs, transportation, kindergarten, field trips, facility fees, facility maintenance, technology and Princeton High School library late hours.
The board split instructional programs into two subcategories – core subjects, which include language arts, science, social studies, physical education and language; and the second was special area instructions, such as art and music.
Under extracurricular activities, the board identified athletics, the upcoming literary magazine to replace the Viking Voice, student council, the school play and student clubs such as Math Counts, Science Olympiad and yearbook.
Under support programs, the board listed the basic skills program, the child study team and health services.
The board hopes to publicize the public forum as much as possible and also hopes taxpayers take advantage of a survey the board is preparing to place on the Cranbury School and Board of Education web sites.
The board also wants to hear a great deal from taxpayers who don’t have children in Cranbury School, but still have to pay taxes for education.