School Budget Cuts Breakdown

If you missed the three Board of Education presentations on the Cranford School District's 2010-2011 budget, here's a quick breakdown of the cuts and changes.

In anticipation of the hearing, the school district has posted a copy of its PowerPoint presentation and tables detailing the cuts and changes coming for 2010-2011 as part of the $52 million budget on its Web site.

Number Summary:

• Loss in state aid: $2.5 million (78 percent)
• Proposed tax increase based on average Cranford home ($181,740 estimate): $209.84
• Maximum tax increase allowed by the state: 4 percent
• Tax increase proposed by the school district: 3.25 percent

Staff Reductions (48 total)

• Hillside Avenue School vice principal for a 2% reduction in school administration. HAS will receive another vice principal, however that duty will be fulfilled by the athletic director as a dual role in the district.
• Three K-12 supervisors
• Two librarians for a 70% reduction in educational media services. "It's not that we don't have a great deal of value for our media centers, but we're looking in terms of how can we reduce our budgets and still provide our students with the services they need," said Superintendent Gayle Carrick at a budget presentation meeting last week. "Our teachers are all familiar with the library and can assist in those assorted ways. While students wouldn't get the same level of expertise, they'd still get some experience with the library."
• Eight instructional staff
• All kindergarten aides
• Select special education aides
• Two clerical/secretarial staff
• One and a half building services positions
• One support staff

Program Reductions

• All middle school sports and high school assistant coaches (-25%). School officials said they eliminated the middle school sports program because students would have an opportunity to still play at that level through the Police Athletic League, rec programs and other community offerings. Some parents are calling for a pay-to-play system that school officials have yet to adopt. As Business Administrator Robert Carfagno says, just because it's not in the budget now doesn't mean it can't be added later.
• Co-curricular offerings (-38%). Many of the smaller, less attended afterschool programs will be eliminated. School officials are asking parents to step forward and see about helping to keep some of these programs in existence.
• All regular summer school courses (-22%)
• Sixth period teaching stipends (these reductions come by consolidating smaller electives courses and including classes of different age groups, among other methods).

Maintenance Project Reductions

• All optional maintenance projects have been canceled, including the overhaul of the Cranford High School science room.
• There is a little money left for emergency repairs.
• The boiler and roof replacement project voted on by taxpayers in December is still a go, however Cranford will likely have to pay an assessment fee on the received funds of an undisclosed amount.

Other Reductions:

• All department and school budgets have been cut by 10-20 percent.
• There remain little to no funds for replacing outdated equipment. As Carfagno puts it, they'll replace the things that break but they won't be doing any upgrades any time soon.
• Cranford teachers will have fewer opportunities to attend professional development courses and conferences. This also limits the money spent on substitutes while teachers are away on such development opportunities.
• Carrick and her two assistants have agreed to not take a raise.

Potential Reductions:

• Salaries and benefits make up about 85 percent of the district's budget. If the Cranford Education Association and the Board of Education agree to a salary freeze, eight to 10 teacher positions could be saved. Both parties have been in negotiations throughout the budget debate.
• In a letter sent to Cranford Patch, Beth Cifelli-Lambe, president of the Cranford Education Association, said: "The BOE and the CEA met Wednesday evening for several hours and movement towards a compromise reflecting these difficult economic times is underway. There is another meeting scheduled for next week to continue working towards a settlement." This letter is mutually signed by Jill Brown, Chair of the Board of Education Negotiations Committee and Cifelli-Lambe. The CEA has yet to make further comment on the budget issue.
• If the budget is not passed in the April 20 election, it will be kicked back to the Township Committee for review. Town officials can then make additional cuts or raise taxes, designating those extra funds to go where they want them to. If they go to the full 4 percent cap and have taxpayers pay more to reduce the cuts in Cranford schools, Carrick has said that any additional funding would first go to restoring teaching positions. But it would be the Township Committee's decision on where the funds would go.

Reactions

• Commissioner Dan Aschenbach at Tuesday's Township meeting: "I think the community should be supportive of the amount of work that's gone into this budget. Last night we had the Downtown District Management Corporation in and they were fighting for dollars to make sure the downtown got marketed and to make sure the town looks attractive. I say that because this (school budget) is a very similar battle."
• Kathleen Shaw of Denman Road: "I resent the fact that the teachers are being blamed by the governor, and yes we have problems, I understand that, but I feel that we are being demonized and blamed. I've been teaching for 15 years, I make $21.20 per hour, I probably work on a good week 55 hours per week to provide the good instruction that works."
• David Bongiovanni of Cranford Avenue and a Morris County teacher: "I can't say that anything I see going on here that isn't happening in other districts. My district is going to the cap. Maybe in terms of 3.5 percent to 4 percent the district is underestimating a little bit. There's enough boil built up in towns that they're not ignorant of the situation. Christie is putting every town in a bind like this."
• Assemblyman Jon Bramnick (R-Westfield): "The state had borrowed money for over eight years. When Gov. Christie came in he simply said he will not borrow anymore, he cut spending across the board, it was extremely painful. This is a new era. It is extremely difficult. We're going to try to listen to the suggestions and when we meet with the governor we'll bring those suggestions back."
• David Pringle of 333 Walnut Avenue at Tuesday night's Township meeting: "Times are tough, nobody likes to see their taxes increase. Given the tough economy, given inflation, three and a quarter percent increase is nothing given the times. I've learned more about this and I wish some different decisions were made, but I'm urging everyone to vote yes. If this does come to you (speaking to the Township Committee now), could you find it in your hearts to increase funding for our children. I do think that we need to. It's not fair, but life's not fair."

• Commissioner David Robinson suggested using the money that could come from a salary freeze to reinstate middle school sports and other reduced or eliminated programs at Tuesday's Township meeting.

• : "What's frightening is that people have been hearing about the cuts, the cuts, the cuts. They're anticipating lower taxes and that's not the case. It's going to be very hard for people to understand."

• Commissioner Martha Garcia at Tuesday's Township meeting: "It says a lot about a community that people are willing to step up and organize after-school activities for the children. (This budget) includes 48 staff members being reduced, no middle school sports, and it will still be an increase in our taxes. So it's hard all around. No matter how many cuts we make, reductions, we're still paying taxes."

• Suzy Williams of Lasalle Avenue: "Because of a loophole, not her performance, [one laid-off teacher] was denied tenure last year. It is a sin, it is a black eye on you. My heart goes out to her, she's a young girl, she's beyond upset, she said to me that 'all I know is I won't be teaching next year, I'll be working in retail 'cause there's nowhere for me to go.'"
• Mayor Mark Smith at Tuesday's Township meeting: "The tone of debate at times has not been constructive. I hope moving forward that the tone changes to a better tone. The Township committee and BOE have worked well in the past, I expect that to be the same in the future. The turf project last year is a great example. I feel your pain when you deal with these budget numbers because that's what we're dealing with now. There's no easy solution because this budget cuts nearly 50 people from staff and still doesn't give us tax cuts. What is the solution? I don't know that we've found it yet. Looking at the BOE budget is not something I would look forward to looking at, at all, we have our own problems and I think they've done a fine job and it's a fine budget that should be adopted."

Previous Coverage:

How Are Our Neighbors Handling School Cuts?


Cranford Schools Lose $2.5 Million in State Aid
School Officials Demand Taxpayer Money Returned

Polls will be open from 2-9 p.m. on April 20. Click here to find your polling place. Check Cranford Patch for the latest in budget updates and the April 20 election.