LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Setting the record straight

Kim Zablow, Bordentown
After reading an inaccurate statement in The Register News last week, I felt the need to write this letter.
   In full disclosure, I am the Bordentown Regional School District Board president. This letter is not meant to speak on behalf of the full board but is being written by me as an individual board member.
   Voters will be going to the polls on April 27 to vote for the annual school budget. Included in the budget for 2011-2012, I am pleased to say there are no cuts to current programs, athletics or extra-curricular activities. Cuts have been made across the district including cutting our administrative costs by the equivalent of two full time positions, in fact, at our meeting on March 23 action was taken to eliminate five supervisor positions.
   There was an inaccurate statement in the paper last week stating that the school board was raising taxation by $1 million for teacher raises. Anyone who has attended our budget meetings or public forum knows that our teachers’ contract which expires in June 2012 has provisions for a 2.5 percent increase in the 2011-12 budget. This 2.5 percent equates to $475,000.
   One thing not commonly known is after our budget was defeated last year, the district had 10 additional staff resignations/retirements resulting in a $756,000 savings. While some of the staff was replaced so as to maintain low class size, some of the savings was used to restore planned cuts (i.e. middle school athletics). When the municipalities cut an additional $375,000 from our budget, that too came from this savings.
   After the budget was defeated last year many residents stated after the fact that they had voted “no” not because they did not support the budget, but because they did not want the proposed cuts. Unfortunately, when the budget is voted down, the municipalities have the authority to require even MORE cuts. Once something is cut from the budget, it is very difficult to bring it back. With a 2 percent state imposed budget cap, we can only do so much with less and while we do try to minimize cuts, they are hard to avoid completely.
   Last year we lost $588,441 in excess surplus to the state. State aid was then cut by 4.99 percent or $1,691,124. In the past three years we have had two defeated budgets which resulted in a $702,000 cut by the municipalities three years ago and $375,000 last year. Over the past three years we have had our budget cut by over $3.3 million. We are doing the same, if not more, for our students next year with less money than we had two years ago.
   Please make an informed vote on April 27. If you have questions please feel free to contact a current board member, a school principal, the superintendent’s office or the school website www.bordentown.k12.nj.us