School Board Approves Budget, Custodians To Keep Jobs

District custodians will no longer face layoffs after new cost savings and revenue sources were identified in an updated school budget approved unanimously by the Board of Education Tuesday night.

The updated 2011-12 school budget also comes after the Board reached a temporary agreement for concessions from the custodians' union, district Business Administrator Robert Finger said.  The exact details were still being worked out.

“The Board, lead by Dr. Walser, has worked diligently to fine tune and adjust the budget for this final adoption stage,” said Interim Superintendent Barbara Pinsak.

Residents will have the final say on the $87 million school budget in an April 27 vote. Board Vice President Gervonn Rice said she hopes members of the community will rally in support of the budget.

“I’m overwhelmed with happiness that our custodians are not being outsourced,” said Regina Melnyk, a teacher at Teaneck High School.

Joe Scazafave, a Shop Steward, credited the public with helping push for the change.

“Public opinion really made this happen,” he said.

Surplus of last year’s budget, extraordinary aid, subscription busing, the introduction of activity fees and increasing building use fees have been identified as ways to prevent the layoffs while containing costs, Finger said. The Board's policy committee is reviewing a $25 per student activity fee for athletics and extracurricular activities.

Increasing the rental fee for outside groups using school facilities would also bring in more revenue, Finger said.  Some area school districts charge more than double Teaneck's rate for facility rentals. 

The district is also working with the custodial workers union to determine salary and budget concessions to save the positions, Finger said.

Some of the expenses that the new found revenue will cover include saving custodian's jobs, hiring six additional teachers, restoring courtesy busing for preschool and kindergarten, and replacing computers.

“I’m very happy with it,” said Matt Hunter, a Shop Steward for the Teamsters Local 97. “It’s not in stone but we still rely on votes to pass the budget."

Bob Carlone, a Shop Steward and custodian in the district, said he was “glad the Board has worked it out this far.”

A in favor of outsourcing the work to a private company. Critics said they worried about student safety if private workers were used. The school district had called the move a cost saving measure.

The tax levy increase remained the same as the March 2 budget with no increase from the general fund and a $26 increase from a rise in debt service.