PLAINSBORO: Education board continues budget talks

By Allison Musante, Staff Writer
   PLAINSBORO — With the Board of Education’s budget heading to a vote in April, the community is beginning to feel the effects it could have on taxes and the quality of education in the classroom.
   At its meeting Tuesday night, the board listened to a report of public feedback about the budget and a presentation on projected class sizes, before it approved, in a 7-2 vote, a revised budget to the county superintendent.
   After receiving the 20 percent restoration of state aid, the board adjusted its numbers to show that the extra revenue of $1.5 million would go towards tax relief. Yet, the $158.8 million budget still projects a 2.7 increase for the local tax levy – the main reason why board members Ellen Walsh and Todd Hochman voted against this budget for the second time.
   ”From talks that I’ve had with people in the community, I know a lot of people are living on the same salary (as prior years),” Ms. Walsh said, adding that fewer families are able to afford the senior class trip and the Plainsboro pantry is struggling to meet demands. “I can’t support a budget with an increase like this.”
   Mr. Hochman said taxpayers are expecting to see a budget below the 2 percent cap and that the board can do more to achieve that.
   ”Instead we’re giving ourselves a pat on the back for our pattern of moderate tax increase,” he said.
   Superintendent Victoria Kniewel said no finite decisions about the budget have been made yet and she appreciated the public’s input at the budget forums held last month.
   ”We’re still at the evaluating and reporting back stages of the budget,” she said.
   From the 139 adults and 36 students who attended, Dan Meyers, a Princeton University student who helped organize the event for research, compiled sets of data showing the community’s attitudes toward a dozen areas of budget spending and revenue sources.
   The top three favorable ideas were charging more money for out-of-district facilities use and seeking more shared services and corporate sponsorship. The least popular ideas were cutting funds to sports teams and world languages.
   ”People were more positive towards ways of raising revenue rather than cutting costs,” he said.
   His data showed adults and students agreed enlarging class sizes was the least desirable way to save money.
   In a presentation from David Aderhold, assistant superintendent of pupil services and planning, staffing projections are expected to be flat but the district may need to shift staff to keep class sizes as low as possible. His data predicts that the lower elementary schools will see larger classes than the middle and high schools, due to a projected influx of young children from new residential developments, next year.
   West Windsor resident Sara Spangler Campanella said she would support the budget.
   ”We shouldn’t shortchange our students — they’re our future,” she said. “I don’t want to see an increase in class size or a decrease in support services, so taxpayers should remember that districts are a surface business by teaching, so you’ll see increases and much of the budget being thrown to staffing but that’s how it should be.”