The possibility of Howell K-8 School District administrators being faced with the choice to close one or more of the district’s 13 schools has become imminent.
Administrators said that as they start to make plans for the 2009-10 school year, the district is facing a $5 million budget deficit, declining enrollment, and has to make the move to come into line with the state’s socalled adequacy rating, which helps to determine
the level of state aid received and to keep property taxes from being raised more than is necessary.
According to information found on the New Jersey Department of Education Internet Web site, a per-pupil adequacy budget is the cost to educate each student according to the state’s educational standards.
“Districts’ adequacy budgets are supported by both state and local funding. The calculation of each district’s local share is based on the wealth of each community as measured by aggregate income and property value,” according to information provided by the Department of Education.
On Nov. 3 the Howell Board of Education’s finance and facilities committees held a meeting to discuss the issues at hand. Superintendent of Schools Enid Golden read a letter from Carol Morris, who is Monmouth County’s executive county superintendent of schools.
The executive county superintendent of schools is the local representative of the state Department of Education.
Morris’ letter noted the Howell school district’s declining enrollment and suggested that administrators consider sharing services and efficiencies to achieve the state’s adequacy goals.
The Howell school district has a current enrollment of about 6,920 pupils. As recently as two years ago, September 2006, the district’s enrollment stood at 7,225 pupils, according to previous articles published by Greater Media Newspapers.
According to school board member Patricia Blood, who chairs the facilities committee, the Monmouth Ocean Educational Services Commission (MOESC) has approached the district.
The MOESC, which is based in Tinton Falls, offers a variety of contracted services to local school districts. Monmouth County and Ocean County school districts can contract with the MOESC for direct services designed to save money, administrative time and clerical time, according to the agency’s Internet Web site.
According to information found on the Department of Education Web site, New Jersey school districts spend an average of more than $14,000 per pupil, the highest in the nation. Some districts spend significantly more than that amount and some districts spend less than that amount on a per-pupil basis.
According to the Internet Web site greatschools.net, the Howell K-8 School District spends $12,900 per pupil.
The adequacy budget, which contains about 18 criteria, considers the basic cost of education, which includes class size and number of teachers, librarian media aides and technology specialists, nurses and additional pupil support staff, school and central office resources, books, materials, equipment, student activities, substitute recommendations, and resources for English language learners.
Because Howell provides additional services such as athletic programs, co-curricular activities (after-school clubs), nonmandated transportation, summer programs (pre-K program, Step Ahead program, remedial reading and math, summer enrichment), the technology program, the elementary guidance program, staff development, administration positions, class sizes and health services, the district has been deemed inefficient because it spends above the state’s adequacy level.
Administrators said all of those factors combined have resulted in the state not giving Howell as much aid as some other school districts receive.
The Nov. 3 meeting was an attempt by the board to start dealing with the present financial and facilities issues, while at the same time including the public in the process.
In the end it was decided to authorize architect Thomas S. Townes to complete a report regarding the district-wide building inventory comparison. Howell has 10 elementary schools and three middle schools.
Howell High School is not part of the Howell K-8 School District. The building is owned and operated by the Freehold Regional High School District.
A recommendation was also made to authorize demographer Stan Slachetka to update the data he had previously prepared regarding enrollment.
And, Karen Jones, the assistant superintendent for curriculum and personnel, will be completing an updated room utilization report that will show exactly what each school’s current classroom usage is along with the total number of possible instructional classroom spaces.
Members of the public asked if the question of closing a school can be placed on a referendum. That issue will be investigated.
No decision regarding the possible closing of any Howell school has been recommended by a committee or acted upon by the full school board at this time.
The culmination of all these things could mean fewer schools in the district, larger class sizes, redistricting of pupils to a different school from the one they now attend, administrative downsizing and fewer teaching positions.
The discussion continued Nov. 12 at a regular board meeting, and will resume on Nov. 17 (finance committee) and on Nov. 18 (facilities committee).