Hopatcong Marching Band Back on School Budget

The marching band's back.

Hopatcong's Board of Education voted, 7-1, on Monday to make room in the district's $35 million budget for the program, which The $8,151 will pay for band director Matt Testa's $4,000 stipend, transportation to away football games, entry fees for two competitions and stipends for two instructional specialists, Testa said.

Frank Farruggia Jr. was the only "no" vote, though he wasn't the only board member concerned by the move. Farruggia said he wasn't against bringing back the program, which has swelled to almost 50 members, but that the finance committee should have been given an opportunity to figure out if returning the band to the budget was feasible and how it should be done.

"I'm ecstatic about the board's decision," Testa said. "I feel like the marching band should have never left the budget. I'm happy that we never really lost our service to the community and I'm just excited that we can continue to do so in an even greater capacity in the next year."

The decision followed a half-hour of debate between board members, Business Administrator Theresa Sierchio and Testa, who directed the band for free last year. But Tom Dougherty, head of the Hopatcong Band Parents Association, which funded the band in 2010-11, might have delivered the night's biggest revelation.

"As it stands today, we would be hard-pressed to pay the band director's stipend, let alone all the other costs," Dougherty said. "Looking at it, we don't have that money in our account presently."

The vote also stipulated that the HBPA would contribute an added $2,850 to $4,000 to the program, which had just around a dozen members a couple of years ago and now looks to be the school's second-largest varsity sport, behind football. In 2010, it became a self-funded organization, along with the golf team, when it was dropped from the budget after the district took a $1.7 million state aid cut and the borough council reduced its preliminary budget $730,000.

The $8,151 would be about 33 percent less than the Board of Education shelled out to fund the program in 2009. Testa said fundraising opportunities, such as hosting competitions, could arise if the band continued to grow and improve.

It was still unclear after the vote how the funds could be shifted to cover the marching band. Board member Sue Madar said money could be pulled from the impending solar energy project, other programs or capital improvements. Dr. Richard Lavery said the board needed to take action Monday night and figure it out later. Board member Joan Reilly agreed with Lavery and Madar.

"There are a lot of sports that they can play," Lavery said. "But this is one avenue where they can play music. They represent our school to the town and other school districts."

Farruggia and board member Michele Perrotti said more exploration was needed before making a decision.

"I think it's premature and unprofessional to make that decision right here without looking back to see where we get the funds from," said Farruggia, the finance committee head.

Said Perrotti, "I have a problem with saying, 'Yeah, let's do it and we'll find $8,000 somewhere.' I think that's putting the horse behind the cart."

Sierchio said she would make it happen, but warned it could be hurt other areas of the budget.

"To find $8,000 is not going to be an easy thing," she said.

The marching band will begin practice on Aug. 22, Testa said.