Tri-Town News Article

Parents want all options examined

Howell TRUTH gets involved with school budget issues

BY TOYNETT HALL Staff Writer, January 22, 2009

For more than a year, members of the Howell Board of Education have been contemplating the possibility of closing one or more schools in order to close a projected $5 million deficit in the 2009-10 school year budget.
Some members of the community group Howell TRUTH (Townspeople Rooting out Unnecessary Tax Hikes) have claimed that the board has failed to seek out alternatives to closing a school. They have said the board's attempt to include the public in the decision-making process has been less than genuine.
Howell's public schools are operating with a $110.2 million budget in place for the 2008-09 school year. The budget for the 2009-10 school year is being developed now. The board has not yet decided whether to close one or more schools.
There are 10 elementary schools and three middle schools in Howell. Howell High School is not part of the Howell K-8 School District. The high school is owned and operated by the Freehold Regional High School District.
During a Jan. 14 board meeting, Al Miller of Howell TRUTH asked the board to consider other measures toward closing the projected budget gap, including reopening contract negotiations with the Howell Township Education Association (HTEA).

The HTEA represents Howell's teachers, and salaries make up a significant portion of the school district's budget.
The board "needs to look at other costsaving measures and needs to stop looking for ways to take things from the children," Miller said.
He suggested that the board members reach out to teachers and administrators and request a giveback or pay freeze to help buffer the blow of the difficult economic times.
Miller accused the board members of not listening to the ideas and suggestions that are being offered by concerned citizens.
Amy Fankhauser of Howell TRUTH called on the board to act in a transparent and accountable manner by providing the public with a cost-saving analysis of alternatives other than closing a school.
"At the Nov. 17 Finance Committee meeting, the administration stated that the majority of the savings on account of a school closing do not come from the operational costs of the facility, but rather on savings from a reduction in staff in salary and benefits. Our group has requested a costsavings analysis, one with specific numbers based on specific scenarios, to justify the proposed [school] closings," Fankhauser said.
"The time for speculation is over. The public needs to see the savings. I often feel like I am caught up playing that 'find the pea under the shell' game, and this causes me to question the board's true intentions. I have heard many members of the community speak on the budget crisis and school closing issue, and the one thing I hear repeatedly is that they believe the board has made up its mind on what it is going to do and has had its mind made up for some time now, but is waiting for some unknown reason before it takes action. Many of us have the perception that you are listening to our words, but not truly hearing them because your minds are already made up," she said.
Another parent, Laura Sandow, said the board needs to trim the fat.
"There are some areas of overspending. The district needs to look for ways to spread out the workload without increasing payroll. Are you all really listening and hearing what the community is saying? We are asking you to cut the budget. You all need to do the hard job and cut the luxury items. This is a budget problem, it's not just about closing schools. It's a failed spending formula," Sandow said.
Board President Mary Cerretani responded to the accusations, saying, "The administration has listened to the community. Your comments are taken seriously. We have looked at many options and suggestions offered, and we will continue to look at them. There will be cuts made. Board members are also community members. We are and have been trying to do what's right for the students of our township."
Contact Toynett Hall at howell@gmnews.com.