FRHSD administrators begin working on budget

BY DAVE BENJAMIN
Staff Writer

It’s never too early to look ahead and start planning for the next Freehold Regional High School District budget. That’s just what administrators are doing as they begin to formulate a budget for the 2006-07 school year. After the budget is discussed and revised, residents of the district’s eight sending communities will vote on the spending plan in the April school election.

The district operates six high schools and enrolls about 11,700 students. The district’s budget for 2005-06 totals $150.5 million. It is supported by $93.5 million in local property taxes.

Business Administrator Joan Nesenkar Saylor recently brought the Board of Education up to date on the budget process. She said the district’s principals have submitted their requests.

The central office staff then worked as a team to finalize the budget information, Saylor said. The areas that were covered deal with additional personnel, curriculum needs and some capital projects.

Saylor said she is concerned with the state of the economy in New Jersey and noted that no additional state aid appears to be forthcoming. She said she is hoping the district will receive at least the same amount of aid it received in the past and not less.

She said the second issue that could impact the district’s budget would be the rising cost of utilities.

“That is something we will have to include in the budget, but with reason,” said the business administrator. “We will still make sure our students have what they need.”

In the area of personnel, Saylor said administrators are looking at a maximum of five additional teaching staff members. The staff would be placed in the new Law Enforcement and Public Safety academy, special education job coaches, and physical education classes.

“We’re looking for one additional secretary at Colts Neck High School,” said Saylor. “Right now we have two nurses in four buildings and two buildings, Colts Neck and Freehold, have one nurse [each]. We are looking at the possibility of one additional nurse for next year.”

Saylor said a custodian’s position may be added at Colts Neck.

Some administrators have requested additional lacrosse and volleyball teams. Requests have also been made for additional Junior Statesmen and Technology Student Association coaches and/or advisers.

Each year, said Saylor, a number of curriculum areas are revised. The revision is the least expensive part of the process.

“It’s the implementation of the revised program, new materials, supplies, text books and teaching techniques,” she said. “This year we are looking at streamlining the process and looking at the specific materials we need for curriculum implementations. [We will] carefully review the principals’ budgets to make sure they have streamlined the amount of money they are requesting. No money will be budgeted for anything that is not necessary.”

The principals have also made their requests for capital improvements.

“All of the projects have been requested and (Superintendent of Schools James) Mr. Wasser and I have visited each school and toured the buildings with the principal to determine pressing needs,” said Saylor. “At the present time there is a list of projects for each school.”

The list of possible improvements includes science labs, roofing, window replacements and resurfacing floors.

Saylor said funding from the New Jersey Schools Construction Corporation, which helped to pay for roof repairs this year, will not be forthcoming next year.

Board member Bunny Hammer, of Freehold Borough, asked how many certified educational media specialists are in each building. She was told there are a total of seven certified educational media specialists in the district. Hammer said she would like to see additional educational media specialists hired.

Hammer is a retired media specialist who worked in the district for many years.

Board member Terry Kraft, of Howell, agreed with Hammer and said it may be important to have additional media staff members who are trained, since the district may have new types of educational environments such as distance learning and other on-line courses. Kraft said the district will need people who are trained in those areas.

Kraft said he was glad to see there may be some renovations made to the Howell High School auditorium and suggested that air conditioning be added to the auditorium if the price is within reason.

Wasser said it is time to put some money into the Howell auditorium. He said the plastic seats are old and uncomfortable.

The superintendent said he would also like to see the auditorium balcony at Freehold High School updated with an additional 80 seats, if possible.

“It all comes down to dollars and cents,” said Wasser.

The superintendent suggested that residents of the district’s sending communities write to Gov.-elect Jon Corzine and tell him the FRHSD did not get its fair share of state funding.

“We put in for roofing projects last year that were approved by the state,” said Wasser. “Then we found out that the state ran out of money and the district isn’t getting the [promised] $200,000. That burden [then] goes back to the taxpayers. It has to come out of local funds for a project that was approved [by the state]. We put in our share and we did not get the grant from the state government. I think it’s despicable. I urge everyone to call their legislator because it impacts the entire regional district.”

Wasser said the district could not fix all of the roofs. Instead, sections of the worst roofs are being repaired.

“Two of the schools didn’t get their money so it had to come out of the general fund,” the superintendent said. “I think that is disgusting. Other districts got millions of dollars and all we asked for was $200,000” for roof repairs.

Wasser reiterated his request for residents to call their legislators and make them aware of the concerns regarding funding.