East Windsor School Board Approves Budget, Taxes Increase
This is the first year there will not be a public vote on the school budget.
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The East Windsor school board approved the 2012 budget that calls for a 1.73 percent tax increase, making it the first year residents will not have a vote on the budget.
Under the 1.73 percent tax increase, East Windsor residents will pay $57.40 for every $100,000 of their house’s assessed value, while Hightstown residents will pay $21.34 for every $100,000 of their house’s assessed value.
The school board moved elections to November so the public vote on the budget is eliminated as long as the budget falls within the 2 percent state-mandated tax cap.
“Since the cap is considered a nominal increase and our budget has come in below cap I believe all of the checks and balances are in place,” Superintendent Edward Forsthoffer said in an email Wednesday.
The budget calls for the hiring of an in-house behaviorist, two special education teachers, three high school core content teachers, three elementary basic skills teachers, a bilingual teacher and restoring five coach and assistant coach positions.
“We made a conscious effort to not go all the way to the cap yet we are still maintaining and improving our educational program. I cannot promise that we will not need to go to the cap in the future, but this year we were successful in accomplishing that goal.”
The district is also purchasing a comprehensive literacy program for elementary schools that covers reading, writing and spelling, and incorporates an anthology for each student, Forsthoffer said. Smaller novel-type books matched to the child’s reading level are also included.
New Jersey’s Acting Education Commissioner Chris Cerf visited Hightstown High School on March 15 and Forsthoffer told him the state aid would help the district purchase the literacy program. This year the district received about $18.3 million in state aid, up from about $17.1 last year.
The final budget presentation from Monday's board of education meeting can be found by clicking here.
Jake
7:36 am on Thursday, March 29, 2012
Once again the rights of the people have been taken away. Now we have a school board making decisions on our taxes. It doesnt seem right to me.
Bob Laverty
8:25 pm on Friday, March 30, 2012
This is the same way the township council, state assembly and Congress work. So which rights have been taken away?
Jake
10:10 pm on Sunday, April 1, 2012
To Bob Laverty
Yes and we all know how well those governmental bodies function.
ewrezz
8:01 am on Thursday, March 29, 2012
Taxation without representation. Our municipal taxes are increasing and now this. . Why not maintain the current budget and work within the budget in lieu of spending?! I haven't had a raise in four years, employer stopped contributing to pension, healthcare costs and traveling expenses have increased and I've been forced to cut spending & budget accordingly. The school board is acting irresponsibly and once again sticking it to the taxpayers.
Bob Laverty
8:28 pm on Friday, March 30, 2012
You do have representation. You elect the school board. I had the same experience with my employer and I understand your concern, but I also have to say that NOBODY appeared to speak at the budget hearing.
Dave Bell
9:23 am on Thursday, March 29, 2012
When is county wide school districts going to be looked into as a serious consideration? We don't need so many districts.
Lilia V Gobaira
11:24 am on Thursday, March 29, 2012
100% agree
Jake
10:11 pm on Sunday, April 1, 2012
110% agree
selena bibens
10:22 am on Thursday, March 29, 2012
its a new law passed by the state that the residents do not get the option to vote =(
Lisa Shields
11:13 am on Thursday, March 29, 2012
Because SO MANY people were bothering.
Our school board elections are the worst attendence, historically.
And Countty wide districts are a complete waste of time---the standards sink to the lowest, instead of rising to the highest. That would give us the same taxes we now pay---with Trenton's results. Thanks...no.
Bonnie
11:25 am on Thursday, March 29, 2012
Wake me when we become a Blue Ribbon School District.
Lilia V Gobaira
11:27 am on Thursday, March 29, 2012
Lets ask Trenton to help with our school budget increase.We pay 3/4 of our school budget.
Bob Laverty
8:31 pm on Friday, March 30, 2012
Good idea, but the governor wants to cut income taxes. The district still has less state aid than we had before he took over.
Dave Bell
12:14 pm on Thursday, March 29, 2012
I think county wide would lower our taxes. We could buy in bulk and not have SO many "higher ups" and assistants. Lets hear some other input into what can change to improve our taxes and our test results
Bob Laverty
8:34 pm on Friday, March 30, 2012
The district does buy many goods and services in bulk. Out of district transportation routes are pooled with other districts. Supplies are purchased through a state purchasing program. Energy is purchased through a state-wide cooperative.
Bob Laverty
8:39 pm on Friday, March 30, 2012
Nobody has come up with a magic number of administrators. Every district has hundreds of teachers to evaluate and supervise. Every principal has all of the social issues of our time thrust upon them to resolve, from dysfunctional families to bullying. Plus adapting curriculum constantly to changing state and now national curriculum standards. And state mandated paperwork. County districts won't resolve all of this.
Dave Bell
8:46 pm on Friday, March 30, 2012
How about all the administrative staff that can be cut back on?
John Stanley
5:54 pm on Thursday, March 29, 2012
Rembrandt the names on the school board and show up at election time
Jake
10:28 pm on Sunday, April 1, 2012
Bob, county administration does work and quite well. You need to spend a little time researching how this can be accomplished, perhaps meet with administrators from states where that method is successful.
When people stop attending meetings, it is not out of apathy, more likely it is because it doesn't make a difference. Unfortunately, we are living in a time when we must all learn to do more with less. Our educational system has always used the tactic that w/ less money our children will suffer and that is just not true. Ever stop and think that as we parents have to work longer and harder, just to live here, we have less time and money for our own children.