Staff cuts almost certain; program cuts possible School superintendent offers grim view of school budget BY DANIELLE MEDINA Correspondent BRICK TOWNSHIP - Sports programs will be cut and more students will be walking to school if voters fail to approve several questions in the April 17 school board election, the superintendent said. "The budget is very simple this year," Superintendent Thomas L. Seidenberger said at a special March 12 board meeting. "We have a cap. It's nonnegotiable." Board of Education members recently unanimously approved a preliminary operating budget of $130,335,191, which would raise the school tax rate 6.2 cents for each $100 of assessed valuation. Voters will also be asked to approve three separate questions that will determine whether some sports and extracurricular activities are cut, school safety and security system upgrades shuttled and courtesy busing curtailed. The state-imposed 4 percent cap on school tax levy increases is the reason the three questions will be added separately, school officials said. The cap law limits the district's operating budget to an increase of $3,408,618 in 2007-08 - which is 4 percent of the 2006-07 local tax levy of $79,614,807 - plus a $224,026 waiver for special education tuition. Seidenberger said the district's proposed budget was reduced by $1,616,438 with the tax levy cap. "I don't think we've ever been at 6.2 cents," Seidenberger said. "Some people might think that's a good thing, but there's a lot of bleeding to get us to that number." Staff reductions probable Seidenberger said he expects there to be staff reductions at every level for the third year in a row, although he didn't have an exact number. He also expects the elimination of nonmandated programs; the inability to add or expand new programs; and the elimination of planned maintenance projects. The district is slated for a 3 percent increase in state aid this year, up $1,122,399 from $37,431,291 in 2006-07 to $38,554,230 in 2007-08. Districts in Brick's classification received an average increase of 5.4 percent, according to the state Department of Education's Web site. But Seidenberger said the district is still massively underfunded by $22 million, despite the state aid increase. "I'm a realist," he said. "I know I'm never going to get $22 million more in state aid. I'd take a third of that." This year's election is the first time in 11 years there have been questions on the ballot. "The fact that we have three special questions on the ballot this year should be a wake-up call," Seidenberger said. The tax increase for the three special questions is 2.94 cents for each $100 of assessed valuation. That would bring the total proposed school tax increase to 9.2 cents, if voters approve all three questions and the tax levy portion of the budget. The first question asks voters for an additional $800,000 (1.71 cents) to maintain the district's current middle school and high school athletic and extracurricular activities. The second question asks voters to approve an additional $275,000 (0.59 cents) for the expansion and enhancement of each school's safety, security and communications systems. The third question seeks to raise an additional $300,000 (0.64 cents) for the maintenance of the district's existing nonhazardous K-12 courtesy busing. "If voters vote no to the sports questions, we'll have to cut sports," Seidenberger said. "If voters vote no to the security question, there will be no enhanced security measures at our schools, and if they vote no to busing, approximately 3,000 more kids will be walking to school." Seidenberger said that if the questions relating to sports and busing are approved, those funds are a permanent increase and will become a part of next year's budget. The school security question, on the other hand, is a one-time increase. If voters reject the special questions, the Township Council could decide to reinstate the funds. But if council members decide against that, there are no further appeals, Seidenberger said. "There is a misconception that you can appeal it to the Commissioner [state Commissioner of Education Lucille Davy], but that's false," he said. Bond referendum also in the mix A bond referendum question that would allow the district to bond for money to replace the roofs at every school will also be on the ballot next month, Seidenberger said. The district made $176,900 worth of emergency repairs that included the replacement of 11,000 square feet of roof at Brick Township Memorial High School, after major flooding occurred in four stairwells and 11 classrooms. More information on the bond referendum question, which is expected to be about $4 million, will be available at the public hearing on the 2007-08 budget, Seidenberger said. "The referendum won't have an impact on next year's budget," he said. The Bulletin will take an expanded look at all the additional ballot questions and what programs would be cut if they are not approved in the March 29 edition. Seidenberger and board members are expected to make a budget presentation at the March 27 Township Council meeting. The public hearing on the budget will begin at 7:30 p.m. March 29 in the Brick Township High School library. The annual school election will be held April 17. Polls will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.