No final decisions made; 4.3% tax hike proposed
By Gene Robbins, Managing Editor
School board members heard pleas Monday night to save the jobs of 35 nighttime custodians and dozens of long-term substitute teachers faced with being budget casualties in the next year’s proposed $117.7 million total budget.
Two teachers, a high school student and two officials in the local education association all asked the board to reject the privatization plan that is a part of the budget as tentatively approved.
There were indications that may just be the mindset of members and school administrators.
Superintendent Jorden Schiff said the administration was looking at reductions “in lieu of privatization.” The savings of privatizing custodians was projected at about $700,000, he said, with another $250,000 in long-term substitutes.
He said the goal was to keep $1.3 million in the cap “bank” for possible use in future years.
The other major decision lies with whether to continue the computer technology program at a pace that would mean every fifth through 12th grader next school year would have a tablet computer for his or her own school use.
Judith Haas, chair of the education committee, said the body was looking at five different scenarios, from securing just enough computers to use in required statewide comprehensive testing, to buying Chromebooks for some grades or to continue with the strategic plan for all grades to have computers next year. The full plan would also mean hiring more technicians to handle equipment and teach staffers how to use the tablets for organization and in the classroom.
The difference between the minimum and maximum of the options was $300,000, she said.
Even with cuts, the district is looking at a local tax levy increase of 4.3 percent over last year. That would be an estimated $252 rise for a home assessed at $363.900, said to be the average in the township.
The district can exceed the state law that limits local property tax hikes to 2 percent by using unused cap space from previous years and invoking a cap waiver for soaring costs of health benefits.
The board has a meeting on April 7 and will vote to adopt a budget on April 28. The budget doesn’t need direct voter approval. The tentative budget is printed as a legal ad on page 4A.
Daynon Blevins, president of the Hillsborough Education Association, asked the board to take a preliminary vote to take the privatization option off the table, particularly after it hadn’t come up in negotiations, completed in January, for a three-year contract. The HEA has nearly 1,000 members, including teachers, custodians, aides and support and clerical staffers.
Board Vice President Jennifer Haley said the board was having “very difficult conversations” about the budget and she couldn’t see withdrawing any option.
Intermediate school teacher Henry Goodhue said lower-paid, contractor-hired custodians would have “no real investment” in the community, and would likely perform to the letter of the contract, compared to the “above and beyond” work performed by long-employed night custodians.
He said the district would open itself up to increased theft of school property, and possible inappropriate conduct with students.
Another teacher, Christine Kirsche, told the story of a friend who taught in another school district with contractual employees who fell on a patch of ice that likely would have been salted by custodians familiar with small details like knowing where dangerous icy spots formed.
Samuel Pfister, a high school senior, urged keeping the custodial staff and giving them more tools to do the job “in a more efficient manner.” He also said he could point to examples where substitute teachers had affected his education, and pointed out that long-term subs often prove themselves to be worthy of hiring for fulltime jobs.
Maria DeLuca, second vice president of the HEA, said the board would forfeit control over hiring, firing and disciplining of custodians. She was concerned about the turnover rate and the loss of security and sense of pride in work performed. She said night custodians were long-standing valued employees, not just a “nighttime cleaning staff.”
The board will move up its schedule of committee meetings to be able to discuss the budget in more detail before the April 7 meeting.

