JACKSON — The process of preparing a budget for the 2009-10 school year is continuing. The Jackson Board of Education heard from several school principals during a Dec. 16 meeting at Jackson Memorial High School.

The budget meetings are open to the public. Additional meetings are scheduled for Jan. 13, Jan. 20 and Feb. 10 at the Fine Arts Center at Jackson Memorial High School at 7:30 p.m.

The Jan. 13 meeting will highlight transportation and facilities; the Jan. 20 meeting will cover curriculum and instruction, and technology; and the Feb. 10 meeting will cover special education, co-curricular activities and personnel.

For the first time in Jackson, a community budget committee has been created. The members of the committee represent a crosssection of the community, and the panel's goal is to provide input and make recommendations to the board, Deputy Superintendent Lu Anne Meinders said.

Each member of the committee is expected to use his or her expertise, guidance and insight to help the board create a responsible budget that funds the educational programwhile being sensitive to the needs of the taxpayers, Meinders said.

She said the committee's input will be critical as administrators craft a budget that will be presented to the public in the April school election. The community budget committee includes John Barrington, Marie Chamra, Karen Dempsey, Matt DiGiovanni, Jeff Goeke, Ann Gorr, Delores Harvey, Paul Mayerowitz, Laneta Owens, Renee Pagano- Hein, Cindy Reynolds, Theresa Schiazza, John Walter and Township Councilman Howard Tilis.

Meinders said when building a budget that exceeds $130 million, one has to take into account the makeup of the schools, the needs of the students, the obligations the district has under the federal No Child Left Behind Act and other state mandates.

Information presented at the meeting indicated that during the 2009-10 school year, there will be 1,341 students at the Goetz Middle School, 1,025 students at the Christa McAuliffe Middle School, 1,739 students at Jackson Memorial High School, and 1,410 students at Jackson Liberty High School.

The principals of those schools discussed some of their budget needs with the board during the meeting. Additional information is available at the school district's Internet Web site, www.jacksonsd.org.

— Dave Benjamin