Galloway Board of Education Passes Budget

The Galloway Township Board of Education went with option No. 2.

One week after the board arrived at three options for the 2012-13 fiscal budget, it voted 7-1 to pass a fiscal budget that would see no increase in the tax levy, but a 1.5¢ increase for residents due to decreased ratables in Galloway Township.

The lone dissenting vote belonged to Board Member Beverly Evensen. Board Member John Knorr was absent from Monday night's meeting at the

The other seven members in attendance voted to pass the $56,123,664 budget on the night it was scheduled to. Board President Ernest Huggard had said he would table the measure if the proposal was voted down as the meeting was running long and there were other presentations to make. That wasn’t necessary, however.

The need for three options was the result of the referendum of March 13, which left the school district seeking a way to replace three of the schools’ roofs, three of the schools’ fire alarms and improve the parking lot at without taxpayer help.

The tax levy will remain $27,975,500, the same as last year. Changes were made from the original budget, however, including the elimination of election costs, as the school board elections will now take place in November, along with the presidential election and local legislative races; the iPad expansion; and interest payments related to the referendum projects, since the referendum was defeated. The other projects would’ve included roof replacements at , and elementary schools and fire alarm replacements at Smithville, Roland Rogers and ,

The budget also sees changes to:

* professional development;

* general education supplies and books;

* special education supplies and books;

* stipend for ASK Testing preparation;

* administrative supplies;

* carpet replacement;

* energy costs;

* technological initiatives; and

* money to be transferred to charter schools.

The district made $500,000 worth of changes, and the money it saves there will be placed into its capital reserve.

“This is one small step toward replacing one roof,” Giaquinto said.

Huggard and Boar Member Rich Dase later voiced their concerns that the state may take that money out of the capital reserve, as it has in the past.

“I do not want to see the children of Galloway Township suffer if we have to make any more reductions,” Dase said.

Evensen voiced concern about transportation costs, increased costs for substitute teachers and technology, She also quoted statistics that state 70 percent of the state’s budget is for school costs, and that only 20 percent of residents have children in schools.

“We are transported the children we are required to transport,” Giaquinto said. “We did away with the cost for bussing children within 1.5 miles of schools, and then to two miles of the school."

As far as transportation is concerned, Giaquinto said the consortium isn't perfect, but the district saves money on transportation by participating in it.

She said substitutes brought in to train staff at $75 to $80 for a seven-hour day were comparable to conducting that same training outside school hours for half the time, and that the district was looking at any situations in which it believes absenteeism is being abused.

“Is the 20 percent of residents with students in schools for all-time? I don’t feel comfortable commenting on that when I don’t know the answer,” Giaquinto said.

“Before I came on to this board 15 years ago, we made a conscious decision to go with technology, and we have one of the best technology departments and school systems in New Jersey,” Board Vice President George Schwenger said. “We build our own computers here. We can’t let technology go. Once it goes, it’s gone and so are all the millions we spent on it.”

Personnel changes will include:

• four general education positions transferred from the middle school to the elementary schools;
• the elimination of one art and Spanish teaching position at the middle school;
• two full-time in classroom assistants will be reduced to part-time;
• two elementary school resource positions will be added, at no additional cost to the taxpayer;
• one speech teacher will be promoted from part-time to full-time;
• one entry level desk technician will be added; and
• two secretarial positions will be added.

Carpet replacement for “identified classrooms” will continue, and new HVAC units for the district server room and the and school computer labs are among facility upgrades made possible by the budget. Access control upgrades for the School gym, resealing of the middle school’s parking lot, general concrete repairs and general maintenance of buildings and grounds are other upgrades made possible by the budget.

“This is one of the most harnessed budgets,” I’ve been a part of, Huggard said. “This was difficult. We hope that next summer, we can get a roof on one building without going to the taxpayers. You spoke and we listened to you. I don’t know what’s going to happen with the other roofs, but we hope to get one up next summer.”