HILLSBOROUGH: Board could tweak school budget Monday

By Gene Robbins, Managing Editor
   School district officials posted more details this week on what’s in the proposed 2012-13 school budget, but more changes are likely to be debated Monday night.
   In order to move the question to the April 17 ballot, the Board of Education must vote approve a budget Monday.
   A $113.7 million tentative budget was approved March 5. Some board members expressed concerns that could lead to more spending be included in the final budget.
   For instance, Board Vice President Marc Rosenberg asked why the budget included one-half of full positions for a school nurse and high school guidance counselor. He wanted full jobs.
   Members Judy Haas and Christopher Pulsifer said the board could be hurting itself in the future if it didn’t spend closer to the allowable 2 percent tax increase cap.
   New information on the school’s website shows that 19 staffing positions would be added in the proposed budget. It says the that two technology trainers, two computer tech positions, two full- and four half-time teachers at the middle school, four jobs at the high school and two special education teachers at the intermediate school. It also includes three teachers of Spanish and three of Mandarin Chinese at the elementary level.
   Another posting shows $428,000 in capital improvements. The list includes $53,500 for work on the exterior of the Bloomingdale School on Amwell Road; $65,000 for hallway lockers and $42,624 for stage lighting at the middle school, and $118,350 of work at the high school, including $31,500 for gym floor painting and $31,500 for new carpet in the child study team office.
   The budget benefits from an increase in state aid, but remains about $1 million below the 2 percent property tax increase cap, which some members see as property tax relief.
   Some items in the tentative budget include:
   • Lowering class sizes at the middle and high schools;
   • Increasing spending on facilities;
   • Increasing spending on a staff development system in which teachers train other teachers;
   • Increasing spending on technology in classrooms;
   • revision of all curriculum areas (except math and science which were revised in 2011-2012)
   • implementing a world language program at the elementary level, and
   • Completing an energy audit at all schools.
   The tentative budget increases Hillsborough’s tax levy by 0.4 percent from the current school year’s $81,528,217. Under the tentative budget, the tax rate for Hillsborough residents would increase by less than one cent, from $1.444 per $100 of assessed property to $1.453 per $100. The “average” property with a $368,700 assessment would see an increase of $32 for the year.
   The tentative budget decreases the number of tax dollars to be raised from Millstone properties, but, due to a 5.6 percent drop in ratables, Millstone residents will see taxes rise. Under the tentative budget, the property tax rate for Millstone residents would increase to $1.487 per $100 assessed value, up from the current $1.424 per $100. The “average” home of $324,474 would see an increase of $204 for the year.
   The school said the largest cost drivers in the 2012-13 tentative budget are contractual salary increases for staff, state-mandated curriculum revisions and funding initiatives in the strategic plan.
   These factors are offset by the agreement was struck last year in collective bargaining with the Hillsborough Education Association. HEA members agreed to a larger contribution to the cost of health care.