Dr. Edward Forsthoffer, Hillsborough
School budgets have been very much in the news over the last few months. Although I started working on this budget last October, there have been a number of outside influences that have caused me to make several difficult revisions throughout the process.
The major obstacle this year has been the reduction of state aid. Hillsborough, unexpectedly, had our state aid reduced for this year and for next year. In February, through a recommendation by Gov. Chris Christie, over $811,000 in state aid payments that we were already awarded last year and were expecting over the next few months were withheld. This money would have been used to help balance the next year’s budget.
Then, less than a month later, the governor made a sweeping cut by reducing state aid in the amount of 5 percent of our total budget. For Hillsborough this amounted to over $5.16 million or 19.6 percent of our state aid for 2010-2011. This is the primary cause of cuts in the 2010-2011 school budget.
Deciding on where and how to cut so that I could present a balanced budget has been a major challenge. Although administration has taken the largest percentage of cuts, there are reductions throughout the budget. All schools and many programs are seeing decreases as well as decreases in athletics and extra-curricular activities.
My goal is to preserve our program to the best of my ability while assuming a loss of close to $6 million in funding. Even though costs continue to rise, the budget for next year is actually $600,000 less than the current budget.
Between 2004-2005 and 2007-2008 there were increases between 10 cents and 5.3 cents for $100 of assessed value in a home. There were minimal increases over the last two years because Hillsborough received additional state aid each of the last two years. For next year, we attempted to keep the tax levy lower, but needed an increase to offset the severe cuts. The tax levy increase for 2010-2011 will be 7.3 cents which is still lower than it was four and five years ago.
Hillsborough is a special place and we will adjust, adapt and continue to succeed. The parents and community value education and have been strong supporters of our schools. The faculty and staff are committed and goal oriented. In fact, when faced with the prospect of cutting 80 positions, the various bargaining groups for our teachers, staff, and administrators agreed to come back to the table mid-contract and make concessions.
Through their efforts, they have restored close to $800,000 so that we can bring some of those teachers back into the classroom without raising taxes further. My fear is that even with all of the work that has gone into preparing a budget that is responsive to these dire circumstances, general school elections are traditionally not well attended. With only one in six eligible voters participating in the election, much is decided by the minority of the people.
It is important to make sure that your vote counts. Along with the school budget, there are four candidates running for the school board. Current board members Frank Blandino and Gregory Gillette along with Thomas Kinst and Thuy An Le are running for the three open seats. I hope that all parents and citizens will come to the polls between 2 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Tuesday, April 20th to take part in the school board elections and to vote on the 2010-2011 school budget.
Dr. Edward Forsthoffer is superintendent of schools for Hillsborough.
