Colts Neck, New Jersey School's Proposed Budget 2010: The Cost of Loss

Like most non-Abbot school districts in New Jersey, Colts Neck discovered its state educational aid would not be decreased by 15% but slashed a whopping 72%! We were told to consider ourselves lucky; Trenton cut some town's state aid by 80% this budget cycle.

Question: What savings has the Colts Neck Board of Education proposed with its new budget?

Answer:

• A reduction of 29.6 staff positions, including 17.6 Teaching, 9 Paraprofessionals, one maintenance, one administrative office support, and one bus driver.
• The Board has frozen or reduced 58% of all budget line items.
• The Board has applied $700,000 from its Surplus Aid and $106,018 of Impact Aid to offset next year’s budget increase; and
• The Board has reduced Administrative spending by $266,011 or 13.9%.

In yesterday's blog I wrote that no conscientious parent is happy when a teacher loses a job.

Many a time during my 16 year residence in Colts Neck I was dismayed when an excellent teacher was denied tenure; many a time I was dismayed when an average teacher received tenure.

Education, at its root, is a subjective science. The citizenry trusts its teachers to do their very best. The teachers trust their adminsitrators to do the same.

Thirty people will lose their job no matter if the budget passes. These folks have spouses, parents and children. More layoffs will occur if Colts Neck residents do not vote "YES" to the upcoming referendum on April 20th.

***Note: I do not represent the Colts Neck school district nor am I member of the Board of Ed. I state my views as a concerned citizen.