By: centraljersey.com
Savings in health care costs will translate into money for curriculum improvement and more technology in the schools, said Superintendent Jorden Schiff yesterday.
The school board will present its $110.7 million proposed budget for 2011-12 to a public hearing on Monday at 7:30 p.m. in the auditorium of the high school on Raider Boulevard. The budget is printed as a legal ad on page 11 of today’s newspaper.
In addition to averting the proposed reduction in force of 270 employees, the education association and the school board’s two-year contract pact agreement will allow money to be reallocated in the budget to areas "that help kids," said Dr. Schiff.
The $104.3 operating budget shows one major line item increase. The "improvement of instructional services" line goes to $3.9 million from this year’s $2.1 million.
Dr. Schiff said the line includes money for such things as curriculum writing, textbooks and teaching documents, and also for hundreds of thousands of dollars for things like computers and overhead projectors in classrooms.
He pointed out the figure in the category had been $2.6 million in 2009-10, and said the proposed figure represents restoring money lost in past years’ budget reductions.
The proposed budget’s $78.2 million local tax levy is up for public vote on Wednesday, April 27, from 2 to 9 p.m.
It’s difficult to judge the proposed budget’s effect on the amount of property taxes a person would pay, the board said. It recommended multiplying this year’s proposed rate of $1.445 times a person’s new assessment, and then comparing the dollar figure with the amount a person paid last year. That figure is on tax bills.
A chart on the school’s Web site gives a general idea of the dollars an owner would pay for properties of varying value.
Dr. Schiff’s schedule of public Meetings, at which he’ll explain the budget to various groups, is also on the school’s Web site.

