By Gene Robbins, Managing Editor
A decrease in the number of students will enable the school district to reduce staff positions next year, according to the details of a proposed budget for the 2016-17 year.
Overall, the district anticipates 90 fewer students in elementary (K-4) schools, said Superintendent Jorden Schiff at Monday’s school board meeting. Last year, the budget estimated the October 2015 school population would be 7,249 pupils.
That will lead to a reduction of six elementary-level teachers, he said, and three at the high school (in the English, math and social studies areas).
In the current school year, the school has added a total of almost eight fulltime positions, including 5 and one-half instructional assistants. The school plans to hire only a few jobs in the next budget, including a parttime sign language teacher as a world language option.
The overall net decrease is seven-tenths of a fulltime position, Dr. Schiff said. Most of reductions will be accomplished by attrition, he said he anticipated.
The total budget of $124.9 million is 3.3 percent more than the current year’s $120.85 million. It would raise the amount of tax money by 2.7 percent and the tax rate by 1.3 percent. For Millstone, the levy increase by 3 percent and the tax rate by 2.6 percent.
The budget stays under the state-mandated 2 percent cap but only by invoking a health benefits costs waiver for $841,400. That brought a “no” vote on the waiver and overall budget from Board Vice President Jennifer Haley and an abstention from Judith Haas. Both measures passed by the 5-1-1 vote.
Ms. Haley said Tuesday she hoped the board could find a way to lower the overall budget increase to 2 percent, a principle she said she believed in.
A big part of the budget deals with salaries and benefits. The school district and Hillsborough Education Association are negotiating a contract that would take effect with the next school year and the budget uses unknown projections for those key figures.
The public hearing on the budget is scheduled for Monday, April 25, with a final vote probable that night.
Dr. Schiff said the estimated increase in taxes to support the school would be $71 for a property assessed at $350,000 in Hillsborough, and $153 for the same assessment in Millstone.
Other highlights in the budget:
With the passage of a borrowing referendum last week, the school will proceed this summer with the replacement of artificial turf on the high school athletic field, and redesign, repair and repaving of the middle school parking lot. The board moved money from its capital account to help pay for the estimated $1.8 million in work.
The school’s curriculum emphasis will be on science, said the superintendent, with funding materials, supplies, curriculum writing and training.
More Chromebook tablets will be bought for the 3rd and 4th grades.
More high school courses will be offered for college credit.
