Princeton Schools' New Budget Slashes Over 20 Positions: Reports

PRINCETON, NJ — The Princeton Public Schools Board of Education approved a controversial $91.7 million budget for 2019-2020 after a public hearing May 7, reports say. The budget passed by a 6-4 vote. The new budget includes a property tax increase and eliminated over 20 positions.

At the public hearing, parents made known their desire to keep accelerated intervention specialists and a teacher on board, centraljersey.com reported. However, the positions were eliminated by the vote.

These positions eliminated include a teacher at Littlebrook school, one accelerated intervention specialist from each of the four elementary schools and three full-time teachers at Princeton High School, centraljersey.com reported.

"These are cuts to the heart and soul of the district — the people who have the contact with the students, who will keep class sizes down and electives running," said Jennifer Bigioni, the union liaison for Princeton High School, according to Planet Princeton. "This was not a shared burden. Whatever 'scalpel cuts' were done, I can’t see them. To me they look more like hatchet blows."

See more on Patch: Public Hearing On Princeton's Tentative School Budget Tuesday

According to the outlet, school board president Beth Behrend voted yes alongside Betsy Baglio, Jessica Deutsch, Brian McDonald, Gregory Stankiewicz and Evelyn Spann after the hearing.

Deborah Bronfeld, Daniel Dart, William Hare and Michele Tuck Ponder voted against the budget.

A total of $83.9 million of the Princeton schools budget will be raised by taxes. Over $78 million will be raised by property taxes, which see an increase of three cents per $100 of assessed value, from $1.12 to $1.15, the outlet reported.

A two percent cap on the property tax levy was waived. The board justified exempting the 2.62 percent increase by an increase in health insurance premiums.