CENTRAL JERSEY: School district facing cuts

By Doug Carman, Staff Writer
   Another tough fiscal year looming for the East Windsor Regional School District could force administrators to slash almost 100 jobs for the next school year, Superintendent Ed Forsthoffer told the Herald.
   Under the best possible scenario Dr. Forsthoffer projected, the school district foresees a $2.4 million budget gap. This will be the case if voters approve the maximum 2-percent tax hike the school district is allowed to pass, while state and federal governments keep their aid to the district at their current levels.
   About 700 people work for the cash-strapped district.
   The school’s current budget is $72.7 million, and a bit less than $56 million of that comes from local property taxes.
   Mr. Forsthoffer said the remaining money for the current fiscal year, ending June 30, comes from state and federal aid. Though the proposed tax increase will add about $1.1 million to the treasury, the district is projecting a total of $1.7 million in salary increases, while rising fuel costs, health care expenses and tuition costs for special education will put the district $2.4 million in the hole.
   The “Armageddon scenario,” Dr. Forsthoffer said, would be a repeat of last year’s belt tightening when middle school and high school extracurricular programs were cut to protect jobs.
   The public will vote on the new budget in April.
   Dr. Forsthoffer said the state calculated five percent of the school district’s total budget, then withheld that much in aid. The situation put the district about $6 million in the red.
   On top of that shortfall, voters rejected a property tax increase in April. If that happens again, the district will be $6 million short and an additional $1.1 million down if the vote fails, and 95 positions may be cut to bridge the gap.
   ”After-school activities, athletics, fine and visual arts would be included,” Dr. Forsthoffer said. “We may have to raise building use fees, charge fees for groups that currently do not pay, and examine the building temperature. Courtesy bussing and summer programs will also be examined. In short, everything is on the table.”
   The school district and the teachers’ union, East Windsor Educators Association, are in the second year of a 3-year agreement that calls for a 4 percent raise for its teachers. The East Windsor Regional Support Staff Association has the same timeline on a similar agreement that calls for 4.5 percent raises, while the administrators’ union representing principals and assistant principals kept salaries frozen this year.
   In 2010, the school district asked teachers and support staff unions to consider a wage freeze, but East Windsor Educators Association President Ellen Ogintz rejected the proposal last April.
   This time around, she said the teacher’s union is still waiting to hear from Trenton before they make any response, but Ms. Ogintz suggested the superintendent look elsewhere for cuts.
   ”We are looking at the numbers and waiting … waiting to see how destructive the governor plans on being to education in New Jersey this year,” Ms. Ogintz wrote in an e-mail. “Yes, the superintendent has said that he’s looking at having to lay off 35 to 95 employees, including teachers, for the 2011-2012 school year because of a projected deficit. There are also other places to cut, meaning not laying off as many staff members, and the superintendent is looking into those areas as well.”
   Robin Floom, who leads the 200-member East Windsor Regional Support Staff Association, said they are also waiting to hear more from Trenton as well as the school district, though she said she believes their positions were already cut to a minimum for the current fiscal year.
   ”It is impossible to accurately predict what the situation will be. This is the first budget process we will go through with our new superintendent and anticipate his support for the work EWRSSA members provide to keep the district functioning,” Ms. Floom wrote in an e-mail. “While many of our members are not in the classroom, we are the nuts and bolts of the district.”
   Dr. Forsthoffer ruled out any possibility of additional aid coming from the state and federal governments since they’re experiencing fiscal crunches of their own.
   ”Last year was the biggest cut. This year we’re looking for flat aid,” Dr. Forsthoffer said. “I don’t believe the state is in a position to increase their funding … They’re operating in the red.”
   Among other changes, student-to-teacher ratios may increase. Currently elementary school classes hold an average of 25 students, while secondary school classes range in the high 20s to 30. An occasional high school class may have as many as 32 students, but these numbers may rise after the teacher positions are cut.
   Dr. Forsthoffer has not yet determined how many of those 35 to 95 jobs will include teaching positions, though he said he’ll try to keep the cuts mostly to support and administrative positions rather than those in the classrooms.
   ”The kids are not going to notice a huge change in their programs,” he said. “I don’t see how we’re going to do that if we’re cut again.”
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