N.B. board accepts $350K budget cut
Pres. says savings won't impact class size or curriculum
BY JENNIFER AMATO
Staff Writer

North Brunswick's 2007-08 school year budget has officially been decreased by $350,000.

The Township Council passed a resolution on Monday supporting the reduction, which was then approved by the Board of Education at a special meeting on Tuesday. A tax rate increase of 9 cents per $100 of assessed value that was put before voters on April 17 was rejected, the third straight year residents expressed displeasure with the proposed tax at the polls. The cut will drop that increase to about 7.7 cents, according to board Vice President Neil Malvone.

"We looked at a number of line items and we came up with some cuts, such as carpeting and things like that. The items we looked at had nothing to do with curriculum or the students," said Councilman Ralph Andrews, who served on the council's school budget subcommittee with Cathy Nicola and Carlo Socio.

He said this year's process was different from last year's, when around $2 million was cut from the defeated budget, because last year's increases were due to the expansion at the high school and equipping the additional space. Instead, this year the school board stayed within its cap, so the increases were related to state mandates.

The council can technically only make recommendations as to which items should be cut. The group sends a dollar amount to be cut to the school board, which must then decide which areas to apply the funding decreases to, or appeals the cuts to the state. The Board of Education did approve the suggested cut on Tuesday, making the general tax levy $62,874,980. The board will now submit a package to the county and state governments for formal approval.

Board President Claire Padovano thanked the council subcommittee, which met for about four hours each on two separate nights to discuss the reduction, for its "expedient, well-planned and amicable" solution that did not impact class size or curriculum. She said the board is now looking forward to moving toward next year's goals.

Despite the proposed single-digit tax rate increase this year, voters were still unhappy with the proposed increase. The increase would have raised taxes about $180 per year for the owner of a home assessed at $200,000. That increase will now be about $154.

Officials believe the reason for North Brunswick's recent history of failed budgets is the lack of tax reform emanating from the state.

"Anytime something is built in town, the children become the enemy. In the state of New Jersey, because we don't get any true tax reform, the funding formula winds up hurting so many people," Andrews said. "Our citizens need to step up to the plate and start voting this process down in Trenton."