Verducci: School Half Day Will Be Used to Discuss Budget Proposals

The Glen Rock Public School District announced that the upcoming school budget would be the topic of discussion at a closed-door meeting this Friday.

As a result of the planned meeting, all students in the borough public school system would have an early dismissal on February 11.

The district amended the calendar on this past Saturday in order to hold a staff- and administration-only meeting to discuss issues impacting the 2011-2012 budget.

Glen Rock Schools Superintendent David Verducci said he is strongly opposed to closing schools unless absolutely necessary, but that Friday’s half-day was essential.

He said the talks would focus on disseminating several proposals pertaining to trimming the budget to employees throughout the Glen Rock school system.

“We need to get the entire staff in one place at one time,” Verducci said. “And that’s difficult when people are working in 3 different shifts.”

Verducci wouldn’t reveal the specific details of the private powwow, but said he and the Board of Education had been “killing ourselves” trying to figure out a plan to repair the 2011-2012 budget without “hurting the kids.”

The Glen Rock Board of Education  examined cost-saving plans to outsource various school personnel in an effort to help avoid a more than $1 million shortfall in their budget. 

The district, which is being forced into a difficult position in part by a 2 percent cap on property tax increases handed down from Trenton last year, now finds itself responsible for eliminating more than a million dollars in expenses in the coming weeks.

He said Friday’s meetings would be held to discuss several strategies with school district employees.

“I don’t know if it’s going to work,” Verducci said. “But there are some good possibilities.”

The community and many of the district faculty  with administration over proposed outsourcing of custodial staff and teachers' aides and, currently, it is still unclear how the budget discrepancy would be solved.

Superintendent Verducci, district business administrator Michael Rinderknecht and the board’s Finance Committee are preparing the budget for submission to the entire School Board, which would then have to make any changes before handing it over to the county by early March.

As to when the community could expect to hear specifics from Friday's talk, District Director of Communications Andrea Tahinos said that anything impacting the budget would be reported back to parents and the community at Monday’s board meeting.

“We have to get through Friday,” Tahinos said. “Then we’ll go from there.”

Early dismissal schedule is as follows:

Glen Rock Middle and High School: Dismissal at 12:26 p.m. All after school and evening activities will take place as scheduled.

Glen Rock Elementary Schools: Dismissal at 12:33 p.m. Morning kindergarten will run from 8:33-10:25 a.m. Afternoon kindergarten will run from 10:40 a.m.-12:33 p.m. All after school and evening activities will take place as scheduled.

Glen Rock Community School: Kindergarten Plus will follow the same abbreviated schedule as the kindergarten classes. The After Care program will run from 12:33-6:30 p.m. The Tots afternoon 4-year-old lunch bunch and class is canceled. 

Preschool Disabled Program: The morning program will run from 8:38-10:15 a.m. The afternoon program will run from 10:45 a.m.-12:25 p.m.