Voters in Cedar Grove to Decide Fate of $25.1 Million School Budget

The Cedar Grove Board of Education unanimously adopted a $25.1 million spending plan for the 2011-2012 school year Tuesday night, which if approved by voters, would mean a school tax increase of less than half of last year's.

The budget would be supported by a $23.1 million tax levy, which voters will consider at the polls April 27. If approved, the levy would impose school tax hike of $75, or $6.25 per month, for a household assessed at the township average of $480,300.

Since the 2006-2007 school year, voters have rejected the district's spending plan three out of five times, which was further cut by the Township Council each time: by $555,000 in 2007-2008; $285,000 in 2008-2009; and last year, when an additional $62,500 was sliced from the budget following a failure at the polls by 22 votes.

The total 2011-2012 budget came in $1 million less than the $26.1 million tentative spending plan the school board introduced earlier this month, and meets the 2 percent cap on tax increases imposed by Gov. Chris Christie for the first time this year. The plan would maintain a wide assortment of academic, athletic and music programs in the K-12 district.

The state reinstated $244,259 of the district's aid in February, but the total aid the district will receive is still far less than the $1.26 million it got in the 2009-2010 school year.

In January, voters approved a $7.6 million bond referendum for repairs and improvements to roofs, windows, doors and heating and air conditioning systems at Cedar Grove High School, North and South End Elementary Schools, and the Leonard R. Parks building. The bond will result in a school tax increase of $114 per household assessed at the township average, but school officials say  the tax impact from that spending will not be felt for 2-3 years.

Budget by the Numbers

The budget is broken down into five areas: Support Services, which includes athletics, guidance, health services and school administration; Instructional Programs; Special Education; Operations & Maintenance; and Benefits.

Instructional Programs

Despite a lengthy list of "curriculum enhancements", which include everything from new textbooks and calculators to continuing or maintaining nearly 50 services and programs district wide, the total budgeted in this area is actually $141,000 less than last year. Instructional Programs is the single largest piece of the 2011-2012 budget pie, at 31 percent.

Special Education

One area of spending the district has little control over is special education. For students with special needs in the district, Individualized Education Programs are devised with input from teachers, parents, administrators and child study team experts. Based on the needs of each student, the state determines what each district must pay to accommodate these students, including out-of-district tuition, special education instruction and transportation. The Special Education expenditure in this year's budget will be $453,862 more than last year's figure, and makes up 22 percent of the total budget.

Benefits

The benefits afforded to current and retired district employees are subject to contractually obligated increases annually. This is another area of spending where the district has minimal control. This year's Benefits expenditure is $170,000 more than in 2010-2011.

Support Services

Support Services includes a variety of services and departments, ranging from attendance and guidance to information technology and school administration. Much of the $90,000 increase to Support Services in this year's budget stems from the expiration of a voluntary salary freeze agreed to by eight administrative officials last year, including Superintendent Dr. Gene Polles, Cedar Grove High School Athletics Director Patricia Lynch, Cedar Grove High School Principal Michael Fetherman, and Memorial Middle School Principal Thomas Altonjy, who was Director of Curriculum and Instruction at the time. This area represents 17 percent of the total budget.

Operations and Maintenance

Operations and maintenance includes the district's janitorial staff, capital outlay expenditures and building and grounds maintenance. The bulk of this year's $330,000 increase in this area of the budget is the result of a nearly $400,000 increase in the "operations and maintenance" line item. Operations and Maintenance represents 13 percent of the total budget.

Polles called the school tax hike accompanying the 2011-2012 tax levy "Historically an all-time low," and Board of Education President Frank Mandala said he was "proud" of the budget.

"We maintained programs, and we're looking to achieve our goal of improving test scores," he said.

The budget vote will be held from 2-9 p.m. on Wednesday, April 27.