School Board Seeks Waiver from Administrative Cost Limit

Tuesday evening, the Bridgewater-Raritan Board of Education (BR-BOE) will discuss and vote upon a resolution which, if passed, will petition the Somerset County Executive Superintendent to grant the board a waiver that will permit the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District “to exceed its Administrative Cost limit.”

The Board’s petition claims that the school district “requires additional certificated administrators to effectively and efficiently meet the requirements of TEACHNJ and to provide administrative coverage in school in the absence of the principal.”

The incremental personnel cost of this waiver is not specified in the resolution.  However, a February 25^th, 2014 Budget Update identifies the potential need for an additional “8 administrators” at a “minimum of $960,000 in salary and benefits,” without mention of whether or not this item is related to the waiver request.

 Nor does the resolution state whether the cost of incremental administrators has been contingently included in the proposed $143.1 million budget for the 2014-2015 school year.

Under school reform legislation passed by the New Jersey Legislature during Governor Christie’s first term in office, caps were placed on such expenses.  They can only be waived with the approval of the County Superintendent.

The BR-BOE will also vote upon tentatively approving the 2014-2015 School District Budget.  This budget takes effect on July 1, 2014.  It currently stands at $143.1 million, a $3.6 million increase from last year’s budget of $139.5 million, or 2.6%.

It calls for a real estate tax levy of $125.0 million, a $2.5 million increase, or 2% over last year’s total school tax imposition of $122.6 million. 

According to the BR-BOE Budget Update of February 25^th, ratables are up in Bridgewater as well as in Raritan.  That report also projects that, at a 2% tax levy increase, there will be an “anticipated average homeowner impact” of “less than $80” in Bridgewater and “less than $15” in Raritan.

In the four years from 2008 to 2012, school enrollment has declined by 437 students, from 9,137 to 8,700 according to the February 25^th, 2014 School Budget Update.

The number of employees stood at 1,244 in last year’s budget presentation.  This year, it is depicted at 1,254.  The report does not indicate if the latter includes the administrators asked for in the waiver.

The public meeting is scheduled for this Tuesday, March 11, at the John F. Kennedy Primary School in Raritan beginning at 8:00 p.m. 

Prior to the public portion of the meeting, a closed session of the board will start at 6:00 p.m. to discuss the search for a new superintendent.  The original quest begun last year was called off after the board either could not find, or agree upon a suitable candidate to replace Dr. Schilder who retired last year.