LITTLE SILVER — The Red Bank Regional High School (RBR) budget was finally approved by the three sending school districts last week, after some delay on the part of the Red Bank Borough Council.
During a special meeting held on May 18, the Red Bank mayor and Borough Council passed a resolution recommending $270,500 in budget cuts to RBR’s $24 million spending plan.
“We’re thrilled that the Red Bank Borough Council passed the budget,” said RBR Superintendent Howard Lucks following the meeting.
Red Bank was the last sending district to approve the budget cuts. The borough councils of the two other sending districts, Little Silver and Shrewsbury Borough, approved the reduced RBR budget on May 17.
The original spending plan was approved by Shrewsbury voters but failed in Red Bank and Little Silver.
The Red Bank Borough Council during its meeting on May 10 put off action on approving a resolution recommending cuts to the budget until more information was made available.
“The proposal doesn’t detail how it affects the kids and education,” said Councilman Edward Zipprich.
According to Lucks, the approved spending plan includes the elimination of several teaching, clerical and child study positions.
“Those cuts must be approved by the regional Board of Education and would become effective July 1,” said Lucks.
Lucks added that while sports, clubs and programs are spared in the new spending plan, eight positions would be eliminated.
The RBR $18.5 million tax levy was voted down April 20 by 191 votes, the first defeat in 13 years, said Lucks. The new plan calls for $18.2 million in spending, said RBR Business Administrator Christina Galvao.
Red Bank Councilman Michael DuPont said that following the budget’s rejection, council had asked RBR’s Board of Education (BOE) for a zero increase to the tax levy.
“We’ve asked the BOE for a zero increase to the tax levy and for the teachers to take a wage freeze,” said DuPont during the May 10 meeting.
DuPont said that plan would have included teacher layoffs and the elimination of certain clubs and sports programs.
“If we go to a zero percent increase and no wage freeze, they’re looking at severe cuts,” DuPont said. “There will be math, English and social studies teachers eliminated along with hockey, lacrosse and soccer eliminated, and the elimination of all clubs and activities.”
Council President Arthur Murphy III and Zipprich expressed their frustration with the RBR teachers’ union refusing a pay freeze that would have made it possible to have a zero tax increase budget.
Only Lucks, who was due a $4,000 raise to his $158,000 salary, forfeited an increase for the 2010-11 school year.
“I have a problem with RBR teachers not taking a pay freeze,” Murphy said, questioning why RBR teachers wouldn’t take a wage freeze, as their counterparts in the Red Bank Borough School District elected to do.
Murphy was in favor of an outright rejection of the resolution, and stated that the borough’s municipal workers will be facing layoffs or furloughs on June 1.
“I have a problem with it. Our teachers took a wage freeze, why not RBR?” Murphy said. “We’re short on public works workers, and everyone’s doing two jobs. How can I justify asking cops to take furloughs if we’re just going to send it up there?”
Lucks explained that teachers in the regional district are in the second year of a three-year contract. He said next year when the regional teachers’ associations will be in negotiations, a wage freeze would be discussed.