Board of Education Sends District Budget to Voters

A larger than usual audience of teachers, parents and students saw the on Tuesday night pass the 2011-12 school district budget, a plan that proposes a total of $930,000 in reductions from 2010-11.

The budget to be submitted to voters at the April 27 elections totals $38,388,176, and includes an operating balance of $34,682,447, special revenue of $612,515, and debt service of $3,093,214.

The budget includes a total tax levy of $32,527,319, a maximum increase of 2% allowed under state law from the previous year.

Board of Education President Lisa Ellis called the cuts “deep and painful.” She criticized Gov. Chris Christie’s education reforms that have cut aid to many suburban schools. “I will not accept suggestions that we accept what the state gives us and say “thank you.” We as taxpayers and citizens should be furious at education reform law.”

“This is not a Democratic or Republican issue,” she said. “Everyone needs to pull together and vote so not one penny for our kids is jeopardized.”

The budget was rejected by voters in June, 2010, the first no-vote for the district in 15 years. Another defeat at the polls April 27 would send the budget to the borough council for what amounts to final disposition.

Schools business administrator Gary Lane in his budget presentation sought to downplay spending cuts and called the plan a “living document that gets us from Point A to Point B,” with the flexibility to restore programs and staffs, given the right opportunity.

He said in order to maintain the continuing high quality of Madison schools, the budget does four things:

--Maintain class size guidelines;
--Keep the tax increase within the state-mandated 2% cap;
--Maintains as many programs and services as possible;
--Increases, if possible, support services in technology and maintains a part-time coordinator of visual and performing arts.

The school board was facing a $1.3-million budget gap at the beginning of the 2011-12 budget process. State aid totaled approximately $350,000, up from zero in 2010-11 but down from $1.3 million in 2009-10.

Lane said the budget was hit by a big increase in spending for special needs students, to $240,000, as well as increases in staff salaries and health benefits. He credited the Madison Education Association teachers union for working with the district in the budget process by agreeing to shift from a private healthcare benefits program to a less expensive state-run benefits plan.

The personnel reductions include six assistant coaches in four sports, and a number of teachers in the district’s music program. Plans call for elimination of the 4th grade instrumental program, although the board is considering retaining it as an after-school pay-to-play program.

The $100 district activity fee is also increasing, by 50%.

During an emotional public discussion segment of the meeting, speaker after speaker implored the board to restore cuts to the music program. Attendees, including many students, wore black t-shirts with the logo of the district music department to show their support.

Joyce Ingle, who is slated to lose her job at , begged the board to reconsider its plans. She recalled that as a shy child, "music saved me…by losing music classes many students will not get these same opportunities I had."

Board member David Arthur, who said he played in the marching band in high school, was sympathetic but clear-eyed. "There is a lot of support for the arts on the board. We’re not against the arts," he said. "It’s unfortunate, but this is a budget that’s in transition. But it’s not in stone that these teaching positions are gone."