Hopatcong BOE Candidates: Some Things Can't be Cut From School Budget

The Hopatcong school district cut deep into its teaching staff and programs last year when it lost $1.7 million in state aid and its budget earned its seventh straight defeat, causing the borough to shrink it $730,000.

Superintendent Dr. Charles Maranzano said if the Board of Education's proposed 2011-2012 passes, little will change. But if it's shot down, the school district will be forced into further cuts that will "start to affect our children," he said.

But something must be untouchable. Right?

The BOE has cut about 40 positions, three athletic programs and a handful of academic programs over the last two years. But with three seats open for the April 27 elections, BOE candidates Susan Madar, Dr. Richard Lavery and Margaret Bongiorno each agreed certain things just couldn't be cut. Candidate Patricia LoBue didn't return emails seeking comment.

Lavery and Bongiorno each said teachers should be last to face the axe.

"Not many more teachers should be cut," Lavery, seeking his first full term after filling a vacant seat in November, said in an email. "The district has lost a significant number of teachers over the past two years. This has reduced the number of classes offered and increased class size. This will have an effect on the quality of education the students will recieve (sic) if this trend continues."

Bongiorno, running for her first term, agreed.

"Eliminating any more teachers because of budget deficits would be the very last item to be cut," she said in an email. "The feedback I am getting is not good The class sizes have become too big and the children are not getting the attention they need. Even with the plus programs and before and after school (sic) help being offered it is not enough."

Madar said there are a lot of untouchables, and art and music should rank high on the list.

"Art and music are some kids (sic) only outlet and there is not another place they can get that," she said in an email.

Lavery said in an email he worried if teachers were cut, more programs would be lost and class sizes would continue to balloon. The district's student-teacher ratio in 2008-2009 was 12.4, according to the district. The ratio went up to 12.5 in 2009-2010 before jumping to 13.8 in 2010-2011.

Bongiorno said in an email recent cuts were "made without a clear remedy or plan to offset the deficit in teaching. What is frustrating to everyone is that even with this cut the taxes go up and the quality of education goes down."

Madar said in an email cutting program and athletic cuts hit the district the hardest. "Parents were able to fund raise (sic) for golf and marching band but how long can that go on for with out (sic) any help from the school?" she said.