will miss the community
he has served since 1998
Ballard leaves Jamesburg
for position closer to home
Superintendent says he
will miss the community
he has served since 1998
By jamie dougher
Staff Writer
Amid financial difficulties and the loss of several positions and employees, the Jamesburg school district will have to replace its chief administrator.
Superintendent of Schools Richard Ballard is leaving Jamesburg as of Monday to take the position of superintendent in the Westampton school district in Burlington County, which he said will shave 50 minutes off the hour-long commute he had to Jamesburg. His home in Florence is seven miles from his new office.
"The community I’m going to is a lot closer to my home," he said. "It’s a very good incentive."
Westampton is a district twice the size of Jamesburg’s, and Ballard said he will be able to focus on district-wide issues rather than face the dual responsibilities he had as superintendent and principal of the Grace M. Breckwedel Middle School in Jamesburg, where he has worked since 1998.
"I’m excited about the opportunity," he said. "I spent my first 30 years in education in Burlington County, and I’m looking forward to returning there."
Ballard was a classroom teacher for 14 years and served 16 years at the administrative level in Burlington County before coming to Jamesburg.
"I’ll never forget these children that I’ve met in this middle school over the last five years," he said. "They are polite; they are appreciative. They’re very good to each other. Kids get along beautifully in this community."
The Board of Education accepted Ballard’s resignation at its June 19 meeting.
"We understand that people are going to move on for personal or monetary reasons. We wish him the best," said Don Peterson, president of the Jamesburg Board of Education. "He did well with the district for five years. We wish him luck wherever he goes."
Peterson said the board will announce its choice for a new superintendent by June 30.
Ballard said it will be up to the new superintendent to combat financial troubles in the school district.
"As financial issues become more evident, the person’s going to have to look at other options," he said. "The person’s going to have to be flexible."
Ballard said Jamesburg residents have resolve and are trying to adjust to the economic situation as best they can.
"As long as this community keeps its identity as a nice place to raise a child, then they will do what they have to do to keep their schools open," Ballard said. "It’s getting tougher. The financial burden is significant."
The borough has seen dramatic school tax increases — more than $1,000 over two years for the owner of property assessed at $150,000 — as the result of uncontrollable increases in expenses and a lack of assistance from the state. The school district has avoided worse tax hikes by eliminating the positions of seven district employees, and by eliminating funding for sports and class trips.
Earlier this month, the board accepted the resignations of two first-grade teachers, Barbara Beckett and Tracy Sandusky, who left their classrooms at the John F. Kennedy School to seek teaching positions in other districts.
"Other districts pay more than us," Peterson said. "We’re on the lower end of the pay scale."
Ballard also said Jamesburg has to compete with larger districts in the state.
"Our salary guide is not as generous as other districts," he said. "We compete with communities that pay a lot more to first-year teachers."
Ballard said that, in order to attract and retain teachers in the Jamesburg school district, administrators will have to display the positive attributes of teaching there.
"The community will have to sell that Jamesburg is a good place to work," he said. "They support their teachers and their schools. You have great parent support. You have excellent support from the town (and) a board of education that is tireless in its efforts to make schools better."
Peterson said the state shoulders the blame for financial troubles within its smaller communities.
"The funding system of education is inequitable in this state," he said.
New Jersey provides aid to school districts based on the size of the municipality and the property taxes it collects.
"The state needs to change its funding priorities for public education," Ballard said. "Funding education on property taxes is not going to work."
Peterson said large school districts can cope with the state’s funding policy, but any budget crunch affects places like Jamesburg worse.
Large districts collect more property taxes and are more apt to grow and develop commercial ratables than smaller communities, Ballard said.
"There’s not a lot of room for development," Ballard said. "Jamesburg is not going to be able to experience that growth. Communities like Jamesburg are going to suffer."
Peterson said legislators are hesitant to approach the idea of altering the educational funding policy.
"Most of the politicians won’t touch it," he said.
But he said some have come forward recently with proposals to reconfigure the way communities receive funds for their school districts.
"We are facing a very difficult battle with the funding," Peterson said. "I hope that the people can see clearly that we are at a disadvantage because of the funding in the state and that they direct the necessary pressure at the state level so that the Department of Education addresses the needs in Jamesburg and other like-situated districts."