School Budget Increase Pegged at $3.9 million.

Peter F. Starrs, at Tuesday evening's Board of Education meeting.
(Bergeron Image)

At a Bridgewater-Raritan Board of Education meeting last night at the Wade Building in Martinsville, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michael Schilder – aided by School Business Administrator/Board Secretary Peter Starrs – presented a proposed 2012-2013 school budget of $133.8 million, a 3%, or $3.9 million increase over last year’s $129.9 million budget.
This represents a Tax Levy Increase of 2%, the maximum amount permissible under New Jersey law, should the proposed budget remain unchanged between now and the April 17^th, 2012 school election. 

In his presentation, Dr. Schilder explained  that reducing expenditures which reflect the 2% tax levy increase currently built into the proposed 2012-2013 school budget down to either 1.5%; 1.0%; or 0%; respectively, would reduce the proposed tentative budget of $133.8 million by $595,774; $1,191,500; or $2,383,101, respectively.

Key factors such as wage and salary increases and the amount of state aid – both of which are unknown at this time – could have a significant impact on the final budget. 





Contract negotiations between the Board of Education and the teachers’ union (BREA) are still in mediation.  In addition, it is too early for Trenton to provide its state aid data.

At the end of the meeting, Board President Evan Lerner released a two-page statement summarizing his understanding of the timeline and events concerning contract negotiations with the BREA since their inception earlier this year.

Although there appears to be no formal agreement on any of the issues according to the written statement, informal conversations which I separately had last night with Mr. Lerner and three representatives of the BREA indicate that both parties do seem to agree to a proposal put forth by the Board’s Negotiation Team.

That proposal, which is included in last night’s statement by Mr. Lerner, offers to move BREA members from their current health plan(s) to a State-sponsored insurance plan that would, according to Lerner, “save the District about $80,000 per month,” or $960,000 annually.

The sticking point, according to BREA President Steve Beatty, seems to be that although he is in accord with that particular offer, it is, according to him and the BREA Negotiations Team, seen as solely one element of a wage and benefits package that should be agreed upon in its entirety, not serially, one item at a time.

There were a lot more matters discussed last evening, but this is enough for now.

Thanks for reading.  Happy Chanukah to my friends of the Jewish faith.  And an early Merry Christmas to all fellow Christians and others who commemorate this celebration.