Moorestown School Board Adjusts Budget After State Aid Reduction

MOORESTOWN, NJ — The Moorestown Public School District took a pair of actions during a special meeting Wednesday morning as schools prepare to reopen across the state amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Board of Education approved a plan to use additional money from the district’s fund balance, or surplus, to make up for a $240,000 reduction in state aid. When the Board of Education approved its proposed budget in the spring, the district had expected to receive an additional $351,641 in state aid.

That was based on a budget address that came before the coronavirus pandemic, though, and it had been expected that state aid would be reduced. Read more here: Moorestown Schools Expect $300K Loss Due To Coronavirus

It also approved a resolution authorizing the district to apply for a $188,392 Digital Divide Grant. The grant is funded by money that is redistributed through the CARES Act, and allows the district to pursue devices such as computers, tablets and hotspots for students throughout the district.

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There are currently back orders on almost all technology throughout the state, according to Business Administrator James Heiser. The district has placed two orders, with one order expected to arrive before the start of the school year on Sept. 8. The other order may not arrive until February, Heiser said.

At the start of the year, technology will be available for students in Grades 2-12, but some older pieces of technology may have to be reused. Many families have access to devices at home, but the district has spare devices it can loan out, Heiser said.

Following the approval of the grant, Heiser said he can order iPads, which can help fill the gaps while the district waits for the second order to arrive, Heiser said.

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During the meeting, Superintendent of Schools Scott McCartney made reference to a statement from the New Jersey Education Association calling for the remote opening of all schools statewide at the beginning of the year.

“I’m not expressing where we are as a district, but I share those concerns both professionally and personally,” McCartney said.

He said the district has been in talks with the state about the 25-person limit on indoor gatherings, and how that might impact schools.

He also said principals have been working to balance cohorts and aligning staff for the proposed hybrid option ahead of the start of the school year. The final version was expected to be made public by the end of the day Wednesday or early Thursday morning. Read more here: Moorestown School Reopen Plan Includes In-Person, Remote Learning

Later in the day, Gov. Phil Murphy said school districts can choose to go all-remote when school restarts in September, but in-school instruction can resume immediately. Murphy said he's clearing schools and colleges to reopen for the upcoming academic year.

"In-person instruction may fully resume immediately should institutions so desire and so long as social distancing among other protections are strictly adhered to," he said.

At the same time, districts that cannot meet New Jersey's core health and safety standards for in-person instruction will begin the school year in an all-remote fashion, he said. Read more here: NJ In-Person School Instruction To Start; Districts Can Go Remote

The Moorestown Board of Education next meets Tuesday night, 7 p.m. Board of Education President Sandra Alberti said the curriculum committee has been in discussions about improving their lessons about race in the district following the string of protests and racial unrest that swept American after George Floyd’s death.

See related: NJ Coronavirus, Reopen Updates: Here's What You Need To Know