S.B. school budget reduced by $1 million
Capital projects cut; salary increases, new asst. principal post left alone
BY CHRIS MURINO Staff Writer
The South Brunswick Board of Education approved a list of reductions that would decrease the budget by $1,026,617, as recommended by the Township Council. The total tax levy certified by the municipal government is now $93,923,003.

Most of the cuts came in the form of capital projects, which were cut by $360,696. Cleaning, repair and maintenance of buildings was cut by $200,000; maintenance and grounds equipment were reduced by $124,900; and general instructional supplies were decreased by $113,000. Other items that had cuts were the district's contribution toward Advanced Placement (AP) testing, summer staff development and curriculum projects, software upgrades and purchases, textbook purchases, and instructional equipment.

The town council had recommended the amount of the reduction for the levy, which had to be accepted by the board, at a meeting on May 9. The council also made recommendations to the school board on which items to cut, but the board was not forced to follow these recommendations.

The only recommendation by the council that was followed by the board was one to cut capital expenditures.

"They didn't have to do [the capital projects] at this time," said Mayor Frank Gambatese.

The council said that the school board could save money through shared services with the town.

"Our township has the capability to pave streets," Gambatese said. "We have all the equipment necessary for that, if the school wanted us to."

Councilman Joseph Camarota mentioned a project involving the parking lot at Cambridge Elementary School that could be a potential target for shared services.

A recommendation made by the council that was not used by the school board was to reduce the salary increases of cleaning, repair and maintenance personnel from 17 percent to 10 percent.

"It's not like they're a new company," Camarota said.

"We just felt that was a tremendous increase," Gambatese said. "We didn't feel there was any justification for that."

Another recommendation made by the council, to eliminate some new positions and not hire a new assistant principal in a spot that is vacated, was also not used by the board.

The council did not want to cut the 2½ positions for special education teachers or the one new teacher required by the No Child Left Behind Act. They did, however, want to cut an English teacher, a half-time art teacher, a twothirds time social studies teacher and a custodian.

Gambatese felt that since the vice principal spot had already been vacated for a while, and things had been running smoothly, that they should cut that position.

As for the other new positions, Camarota said they were predicated on the assumption that the district would have 134 new students next year.

"The last three or four years, they've been overestimating," Camarota said. "In 2006, they projected 8,881 and there were 8,801. In 2005, they projected 9,017 and there were 8,768. In 2004, they were off by 42."

However, school board President Martin Abschutz took time at the meeting on Monday to dispute this idea.

"If the students show up, that's the only time we'd hire these teachers," he said.