Neptune Cuts $650,000 From Defeated School Budget
By ANDREW CANGIANO
The Neptune Township Committee unanimously approved a resolution to slash $650,000 from the defeated school budget at a special meeting last Thursday.
The figure is less than one percent of the $73 million budget and is the maximum cut allowed by the state.
The cut would decrease the original tax levy for Neptune residents from $29.7 million to $29.05 million.
Mayor Thomas Catley said he wished the committee was allowed to cut more money from the schools budget, but because Neptune is designated as an Abbott District, it is required to spend a certain amount of money.
Committee members said they made the reductions in areas of the budget which would not affect the quality of education given to students.
The committee suggested a cut of $324,500 to the general fund contributions to whole school reforms and health benefits.
Other cuts included $26,000 to workmens compensation, $25,000 to energy costs, and $25,000 for health benefits.
Committeeman Randy Bishop said the decision to make the cuts to the school budget was difficult, but necessary.
This is tough and its not easy, but we ask the taxpayers to make a lot of difficult decisions and we had to make some today, Bishop said.
Committeeman James Manning Jr. said the cuts will not have a negative impact on students and noted that the reductions represent less than one percent of the total school budget.
Neptunes Superintendent of Schools David Mooij addressed the committee prior to their vote on the resolution.
Mooij said the cuts would hurt the education process and undermine the boards ability to negotiate with the teachers union, whose contract expires June 30.
He said the board had made $3.2 million in cuts from its original proposal in October and then made further cuts before the budget was voted on by the public.
Mooij added that the district is headed in the right direction as scores and morale are up.
Despite the urging of the superintendent to reconsider its proposed reductions, the committee voted to approve the maximum allowable cuts to the budget.
The committee took action and Ill have to talk to the board regarding what they want to do about it, he said. Id hoped for a better result.
He said he is not sure whether he will recommend that the board appeal to the state or accept the cuts.
Board President Frances Taylor said the board will be meeting this week to decide what to do about the revised budget.
Catley said the committee had faxed their suggested cuts to the board on Wednesday, asking the board to make suggestions as to what part of the school budget could be cut. He said the board did not respond with their own recommendations.
The committee made their cuts with the help of Robert Allison, an independent auditor for the township.
Allison said he compared percentage increases in similar sectors of the school and township budgets, and found increases were significantly greater in the school district. He pointed out that increases in the school district were still higher even with the cuts made by the committee.
Catley said cuts were made to the teachers health benefits because the committee felt the teachers could have negotiated a better deal with their carrier or through their own union.
The townships budget allocated a 7.5 percent increase in costs for employees health care, whereas the proposed school budget called for a 15 percent increase in costs for employee health benefits. With the committees proposed cuts, the increase would be about 10 percent.
If the school board decides to accept the cuts made by the committee, it can modify what sectors of the budget the cuts are made to, Mooij said. He explained that in most districts such changes can be made by school boards without outside approval.
However, because Neptune is designated as an Abbott district, it must receive approval from the state to make changes to where the cuts are made.
The mayor said the Abbott designation has been a mixed blessing for Neptune, as the township has received new facilities and programs, but that taxpayers will have to pay for it.
Originally, residents were told that the new school buildings built under Abbott were going to be a free ride paid for by the state, Catley said.
He said he does not blame the school board for the increase in the costs of paying for education, but blames the state for not finding a better way to fund its public schools.
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