APP Article: School Board, parents consider ways to cut costs

School board, parents consider ways to cut costs
By Michelle Gladden • Staff Writer • January 22, 2009

HOWELL — Next year's school budget is on most everyone's mind these days.
Board officials are conducting an extensive cost-savings analysis to help them determine whether they will need to close one or more schools to meet a steep budget shortfall, while a group of parents conducting their own analysis say they want to see cost savings that don't include closing schools.
In December, parents suggested $3.5 million worth of cuts, which included eliminating some assistant and school nurse positions, capping professional development and travel expenses, reeling in the use of substitute teachers, reducing child study teams, and cutting courtesy busing, media specialists and an assistant superintendent position.
"I personally attend almost every Facilities, Finance, Community Relations and Board of Education meeting within our township, and it appears the Board of Education and administration have only discussed ways to close schools and not any alternatives," said Al Miller, president of the Southard Elementary School PTA and a member of the grass-roots Howell Truth group.
Miller said the group is comprised of "townspeople working to root out unnecessary tax hikes."
The realization that as many as two of the kindergarten-through-eighth-grade school district's 13 schools may need to close came to a head in early November. Since then, committee and board meetings have centered around how best to address an estimated $3 to $5 million deficit.
"I often feel like I am caught up playing that find-the-pea-under-the-shell game," said Amy Frankhauser, also a member of Howell Truth.
"It really comes down to how much the board is willing to cut from the budget, starting with items that affect the children the least before the board reaches down to those areas that affect the children the most, such as school closings," Frankhauser said.
Officials say that while the board's governance includes the right decide whether or not to close schools, a petition by parents to put the option to the voters is being considered.
The exact deficit amount rests on how much aid will come from Trenton, as well as whether the district will again receive a waiver for pension reimbursement used to offer immediate tax relief in the 2007-08 budget.
Last year the Executive County Superintendent Carole Knopp Morris granted the waiver, which allowed the district to ask taxpayers to approve a $2.1 million levy increase.
A series of reports were compiled to gauge how much savings could be rendered for each of the 13 schools, and officials now are vetting five possible scenarios that would include redistricting students.
A cost-savings analysis report is expected to given at the Finance Committee's next meeting, which as of press time, officials said would take place Jan. 27 or Feb. 2.
For more information, visit www.howell.k12.nj.us.
Michelle Gladden: (732) 308-7753 or mgladden@app.com