Voters will get say on budget in referendum

on April 15 ballot

By Sherry conohan

Staff Writer

WEST LONG BRANCH — The need for a new school addition was questioned at a public hearing before the Board of Education approved a budget of $8,670,061 for the 2003-04 school year. The budget calls for a 7.91-cent increase in the tax rate, raising it to $1.1065 per $100 of assessed valuation.

The Board of Education was to meet Tuesday (April 8) to discuss putting a referendum before the voters in September asking them to pay for the proposed $7.4 million addition, for renovations to both the Frank Antonides and Betty McElmon schools, and for improvements to fields and grounds.

The budget the board finally approved is up $607,956 over the spending plan for the current school year of $8,062,105. The new budget will require a tax levy of $7,805,874 to support it, an increase of $625,910 over the tax levy of $7,179,964 for this school year. The tax rate is up 7.7 percent over this year’s rate of $1.0274.

The voters will have the opportunity to pass on the budget in Tuesday’s school elections.

Angelo Boniello, who posed a number of questions during the public hearing, said the district was looking at potentially losing more students

"Is there any justification for having such a large expansion program?" he asked rhetorically. "I don’t think so."

Boniello said the board has to consider not just people with children, but the whole population. He noted the district will be paying off an existing mortgage until 2009 and said just because the state is expected to give the board money for the improvements, "We don’t have to go hog wild."

Alex Langa told the board it should better inform the public about the proposed addition and renovations. He said he read about the project in The Atlanticville but found other people he has talked to know nothing about it.

"I’m for progress, but at a price," he said. "I’m sure you need some of these things, but I don’t know if you need ($7.4 million worth) of them."

"I just want to make sure we’re spending the money wisely and getting the best bang for the buck," he added.

Turning to the budget before the board for the next school year, Boniello complained that school costs have escalated sharply in recent years.

"It’s escalating to the point you’re breaking the backs of all the residents of West Long Branch, particularly the senior citizens," he said. "Somewhere we have to put the brakes on."

Mary Gassman, the board president, pointed out the district was facing "massive" increases in the cost of health benefits for employees, insurance and utilities. She said the cost of medical and dental benefits went up 16 percent and now account for $768,940 of the budget total.

In response to a question from Boniello, she said the district was eliminating one of the two prescription plans it had been offering next year.

Gassman also pointed out the district has to turn over $104,000 to the New Jersey Shore Charter School which plans to open its doors in September.

"A charter school comes, and $100,000 goes south," she noted.

Gassman said the board also is trying to bring at least one special education class into the school to save money on tuition for sending children elsewhere.

"Yes, the number looks large," she said of the budget total. "But you’ve seen increases, too, in gasoline and groceries. Everything is going up."

As for the proposed addition and other improvements, Gassman said the requirements of the state for schools just keep coming.

"We’re trying not to break the backs of the taxpayers," she told Boniello.