From the Press of Atlantic City, March 20-Derek Harper.
The Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District introduced a budget Saturday morning that would eliminate 43 positions while raising taxes in all of its sending districts.
The $69.3 million budget would require tax-rate increases of 2.5 cents in Egg Harbor City, 5.3 cents in Galloway Township, 7.5 cents in Hamilton Township and 8.2 cents in Mullica Township.
The district also said it will postpone a referendum that had been tentatively set for August that would ask whether the district could borrow about $35 million for roof repairs and other work Oakcrest and Absegami high schools.
Greater Egg officials blamed state aid cuts for the increases, like officials in other districts who are contending with sharply reduced state funding to schools.
"Despite the fact that we have less money doesn't mean we have less students," district interim Superintendent Steven Ciccariello told about two dozen teachers and others who attended the special meeting Saturday morning.
The district would cut back on equipment, supplies, technology and transportation under this budget, he said. He declined to be specific because exact figures had not been reached.
He also would not say how many teachers would lose their jobs. The district expects to lay off 27 of its approximately 500 employees, with the balance of the 43 leaving through attrition or retirement.
Ciccariello said administrators, vice principals, supervisors, teachers, custodians and assistants are all at risk. He said everyone will get their appropriate notice by April 30.
He said he hoped people would vote for the budget, saying its failure would lead only to more cuts.
"I don't see how they expect us to do anything more," he said.
Board Secretary Thomas Grossi said state aid fell by $3.2 million to $28.5 million for the 2010-11 school year, on top of $3.5 million claimed by the state earlier this year from the district's reserve.
He also said the district will have to pay a $348,184 assessment to the state Schools Development Authority in interest costs.
After the board discussed the budget in a private 65-minute executive session, the board members gave a 10-minute presentation on the budget and voted to introduce it.
Afterward, Madeline Avery, president of the district's teachers union, said teachers were upset. She said this year's state funding "is an assault on the public school system."
Psychology teacher Mark Glickstein said he was not looking forward to telling people about the budget. He feared the 43 job cuts may be low.
"We're kind of down to bare bones now," he said.
Contact Derek Harper:
609-272-7046
Updated 8:36 PM on the Press Website
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Greater Egg Harbor School Budget would cut 43 positions
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19 comments:
To the writer of "Taxed to the Max", what's your answer to this dilemma? Who do you vote out for this? Where is our representative from Mullica here (calling Billy Cheatham)? 8.2 cents increase for Mullica, the highest increase for all the sending districts?
Elimination of 43 positions while still raising taxes?
Blaming the local municipality, whose hands are tied, just as the School Board members hands are tied is ridiculous. Blame who deserves to be blamed-the NJEA, period.
What kind of raises and how much contribution to their health care premiums did the union agree to? If its business as usual, I don't support this increase.
Billy Cheatam is a dyed-in-the-wool union man. Don't expect him to speak against the NJEA. He shouldn't be representing the taxpayers anymore than should Frank Kelly. Why do the voters keep putting them back in office?
How many of the lost positions are part time?
Where is the meeting?
The Press seems to be having issues and updated the article which is now NOT MENTIONING A MEETING ON MONDAY. However, one of the comments lists the BOE meeting as being on Monday, March 29.
To further add to the confusion, the GEHR Website, another source of misinformation, does not have this meeting listed at all and has information from 2009-2010 budget.
Why all the secrets? I plan to call GEHR on Monday to find out when and where the meeting will be and post it here.
We need to find out why the Mullica Township portion is so much higher than for the rest of the townships especially in view of the smaller population in Mullica. In addition, they should not count retirement as a lay off. People retire when they retire.It would be interesting to see how many of the retirements are early if any. Attrition is not filling vacancies so is not a lay off either. That leaves 16 actual layoffs. They have not stated whether the 16 are full or part time positions. That would make a difference. The title makes it looks like the school is cutting more positions than it actually will. Having to lay off any one is difficult however with a staff of 500, 16 positions or more can probably be cut without impacting the quality of education.
Here is where some of the money goes from the Dec 7, 2009 Board Meeting:Recommend approval for Sharon Konowitz, Oakcrest High School Supervisor, to attend the National Association of Secondary School Principals Annual Convention March 11 to 14, 2010 in Phoenix, AZ. Mrs. Konowitz would like this opportunity to attend as part of her professional growth/development plan along with supporting her educational goals as she works toward her Doctorate in Education Leadership. Cost to Board is $1,532.20.
Recommend approval of the following 2009/10 ski trips for Absegami High School. Chaperones are: Dee Schoppy, Rose Brady, Lisa Zeuner-Ibarra, Megan Galli, Bridget Mesmer, Dawn Budd, Michael Sykes, Gale Cipaldi, Keith Landgraf, Jana Keely and Meg Gawalis. January 9, 2010 – Shawnee Mt. January 30, 2010 – Camelback Mt. February 6, 2010 – Windham Mt. February 27, 2010 – Elk Mt. March 6, 2010
Recommend employment of Brenda Callaghan for the position of Supervisor of Math and Related Arts at Absegami High School. Effective date is contingent on hiring her replacement as a Mathematics Teacher (approximately January 1, 2010) through June 30, 2010. Ms. Callaghan is replacing Ms. Noll who is retiring January 1, 2010. MA00 Replacement $73,000 prorated
"We're kind of down to bare bones now," he said.
There's plenty of money left. If only the teachers would contribute to the financial crisis. Then no layoffs.
Why can't we send our kids to hammonton high like folsom and maybe not get screwed by GEHRSD again when it comes to taxes
Re 7:53pm
I would be for the idea of joining with Hammonton. 8.2 cents raise for Mullica is ridiculous. Let's pull out of the GEHRSD now.
Mullica tried to send their kids to the new Hammonton HS. Hammonton felt that Mullica had too many minorities in its schools and turn them down. I'm not making this up; it's the truth.
We did try to get our kids to Hammonton, becaue it was so much closer, instead of Oakcrest, but the Hammonton folks did not want the Mullica kids.
The laid off teachers will have first dibs for the jobs at the new GEHR Cedar Creek HS so there is no incentive for the union to consider a pay freeze or contribution to their members' health care premiums to protect the jobs of those being laid off.
I'm glad that the laid off teachers will get new jobs but we can't afford to fill a whole new school with teachers that have the same salary and benefit packages.
The state should take over all the negotiations with the NJEA. We are broke.
I'm amazed that Hammonton refused minorities. That should have went to court. I think a renewed effort should be made to join with Hammonton. Help in this matter should come from the state. Refusing minorities is against a lot of laws.
"We can't afford to fill a whole new school with teachers that have the same salary and benefit packages."
They will. Its whatever the GEHRD contract calls for.
"The state should take over all the negotiations with the NJEA."
This is way long overdue.
"I'm amazed that Hammonton refused minorities."
Why? Anyone who lives in Hammonton knows what a xenophobic community it is.
The new school was approved by tax payers and is needed. Perhaps what needs to change is to get out of the Greater Egg Harbor School District and for Ceder Creek High School to become a stand alone school district but that involves the other large towns being willing to break apart from the Regional District and I am not sure what the financial ramifications would be either as part of the GEHRD or as a stand alone.
If Mullica's children are no longer going to attend Oakcrest H.S., and will be transported to Egg Harbor City to the new high school, then why the large tax increase? What is the rationale for our having to pay the highest rate? Will our township board be speaking about this, and fighting for us?
Just for some information:
1. The GEHREA contract is in negotiations, so everyone is currently in a pay freeze since the previous contract has expired.
2. The teachers who are laid off are still laid off. They will not be getting new jobs at Cedar Creek. CCHS will be staffed by the teachers who are left after the layoffs.
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