School Officials Propose 50 Layoffs, Tax Increase

Less than a week after Gov. Chris Christie proposed a near 78 percent cut of state aid to the Cranford School District, the Cranford Board of Education approved a preliminary budget that will cut 50 personnel and raise taxes.

The new budget will eliminate 17 part-time and 33 full-time employee positions, including 12 teachers, three administrative personnel, five support staff, and 13 classroom assistants.

Other school cuts include the elimination of middle school sports and various high school coaches, reduction in co-curricular activities, and cancellation of summer maintenance projects. All school budgets have been decreased by 20 percent.

Cranford taxpayers will also get hit with a $209.84 tax increase (based on an average $181,740 home).

"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," said Superintendent Gayle Carrick. "It's going to be very hard for people to understand."

Last year's taxes fell slightly over the 4 percent cap at about $139.29 (for an average home), according to Business Administrator Robert Carfagno. But that was with $70,000 in unused project funds and the intent to set aside money for emergency use.

This budget proposes an  increase of taxes over last year with a 3.25 percent tax cap and no emergency funds.

"We have been so judicious about keeping children and the the students first and foremost," said Carrick. "We're trying to keep everything intact through some creative measures."

Christie announced Cranford's loss of $2.5 million in state aid for the 2010-2011 school year on Thursday, leaving school officials until Monday to redo their budget and submit it to the Executive County Superintendent. School officials had asked for more time to revise their budget, to no avail.

"Really what our illustrious governor did was smack us across the forehead and say 'You deal with it,'" said Board member Camille Widdows.

"I don't think it was across the forehead," said Board member Mary Catherine Sudiak.

Some wondered why the Board didn't go all the way up to the 4 percent tax limit.

Board candidate Jerald Baranoff noted that going to the tax limit would cost the average household about $20 more per year.

"If that would ease the pain of the budget, save those jobs, I would look into doing it," he said."

"I can't say that anything I see going on here that isn't happening in other districts, said David Bongiovanni, a Cranford Avenue resident and Morris County teacher. "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."

School officials didn't completely dismiss the idea, though they cited concerns about how much taxpayers, especially those in a bind, would value that extra $20.

They also called on the Cranford Education Association to consider a new strategy in their contract negotiations. If the CEA would accept salary freezes, the Board could save some jobs, said Carfagno.

The budget can be changed up until next Monday. If the county rejects Cranford's budget, it goes to the Township Committee for final edit and review. Voters will get their say on April 20.