SCHOOL BUDGET TAX HIKE EXCEEDS CAP, CUTS ELEMENTARY FOREIGN LANGUAGE

The Board of Education is being asked to consider a proposed $123.4 million budget for the 2015-2016 school year that would include a 2.31% tax increase, which would average about $121 more per household in Maplewood.

The proposed budget, $112 million of which would come from taxes, was updated at a special school board meeting last week. It must still be reviewed before any approval, with the board set for another special budget meeting on Thursday at 7:30 p.m.

District officials revealed that the spending plan would cut foreign language programs for the elementary schools, while also eliminating a reading intervention position. Currently, the foreign language program includes only a weekly session for elementary students.

Overall, the proposed budget would add 8 full-time positions, with five at Montrose School and three at the middle schools – two classroom teachers and a PE teacher.

But it would also cut 11 other positions, included in those cuts are three elementary school foreign language teachers and one guidance counselor at CHS.

“I wish I could be here asking you for a lot more resources to make it what it should be…but in looking at all the programs and knowing we had to go somewhere to balance the budget,” acting Superintendent James Memoli said about the foreign language cutback. “That seemed to be the place where we felt it is just not as effective to offer this kind of program just one day a week.”

Business Administrator Cheryl Schneider said the administration is asking the board to go above the 2% budget increase cap set by the state by an additional $330,000.

Under state law, the district is allowed to increase its budget beyond the cap because it had previously increased it below the cap in prior years. Known as “banking,” this allows districts to receive credit for remaining under the cap and use that to increase beyond the cap in the future.

The budget plan also includes an unspecified reorganization of the district central office, Schneider said.

 “We are trying to use our supervisory staff in a more effective manner so that they can be more concentrated on certain grade levels and certain areas,” Memoli said during the special meeting on March 4. “I think the structure we have now is not served well in certain areas. We are still looking at how we are going to do that…the idea is to be more effective with our teachers, with our professional development, with our curriculum development and our goal of really helping teachers improve their practice.”

Several board members offered concerns that the foreign language program was being cut at the elementary levels.

“I’ve noticed there has been a consistent sort of hacking away at elementary school and I just want to raise that as a concern,” said Board Member Madhu Pai. “This is where we have the best opportunity to sort of stem the achievement gaps and get students prepared for the real learning that is ahead ... we really need to be careful how many cuts we are making at the elementary level.”

Board Member Elizabeth Baker offered similar concerns, stating: “I do share the concerns about the impact on elementary education ... we’re pushing the limits of class size unless you have a dramatic dip in incoming kindergarten population…that longer term has a consequence for the efficacy of instruction…I am too very troubled about the elimination of world language.”

Board Member Beth Daugherty cited a past proposal to allow athletes to get class credit for sports team as a way to cut costs on physical education.

“I would encourage you to re-think that because if we are talking supporting our youngest learners and really getting them to be able to read by third grade versus some of the physical education of some of our students who are already playing in varsity level sports to me it is something that we really should look at,” she said. 

Schneider added that the district is also reviewing possible changes to a private health benefit company instead of the state public employee plan: “It’s something that’s worth exploring.”

She added that, “doing self-insurance has a lot of different components to it ... suggesting there could be millions of dollars of savings.”

Board President Wayne Eastman concluded the meeting saying, “Is the overall budget for South Orange Maplewood Schools going up? Yes it is … yes, we are talking about a real increase in spending.”