Today, Governor Christie’s administration announced the last round of cuts in state aid to New Jersey school districts for the 2010/2011 school year beginning July 1st, 2010. Consequently, the Bridgewater-Raritan School District was notified that it will incur another reduction in state aid of $4.4 million, on top of previous cuts.
Tonight, 8:00 PM, at the John F. Kennedy School in Raritan the B-R BOE and administration will present another pared-down version of the budget. None of the previous presentations to the public – the latest of which was on February 23rd – provide room for a reduction as steep as those necessitated by the State of New Jersey’s cuts announced today.
I expect a very large turnout of Bridgewater-Raritan residents and a big group of staff and union representation. The February 23rd meeting was standing-room only.
Jeffrey Brookner, President of the B-R BOE had sent letters previously asking all bargaining units, including those representing teachers, principals and supervisors to re-open contract negotiations. The purpose was to reduce or rescind the 4.35% pay raises included in the proposed 2010/2011 school budget now under stress. Total wage increases are reported to be worth $2.7 million.
To date, no information has been made public about the responses of those bargaining units to Mr. Brookner’s request. The only concessions made so far have been from a small group of non-bargaining administration officials to reduce their pay raises by 2%, or about $60,000 in total.
As of this writing, the impact on Bridgewater and Raritan real estate tax levies is uncertain. However, at the time of the latest budget draft on the 23rd, the combined tax levy for both municipalities was still going up by 4%, the maximum allowed by New Jersey law.
