From The Press of Atlantic City, Rob Spahr, Staff Writer, March 31, 2010
The Mullica Township Board of Education approved a $8.8 million budget Wednesday night that would eliminate 12 jobs and increase the tax levy by about 2.4 percent.
The budget is $238,338 less than the $9,132,948 that the district budgeted for the 2009-2010 school year.
The tax rate per $100 of assessed property value will increase 2.21 cents to $1.16, which means the budget that will be up for voter approval April 20 would increase taxes by about $44 for a home assessed at $200,000.
However, taxpayers also will be required to pay an additional 1.2 cents per $100 of assessed value in debt service that is left over from the school expansion and other improvements.
And, as a result of a $258,283 reduction in state aid, rising special education costs and health insurance expenses, the budget calls for the elimination of 12 jobs — including five full-time teachers — and the reduction of two other staff members from full-time to part-time positions.
The school district also will make cuts in extracurricular activities, field trips, computer support, remedial activities and professional services.
“There will be substantial cuts to our budget. A budget that was already lean,” district Business Administrator Lourdes LaGuardia explained to the dozen or so residents and local leaders in the audience. “Our children surely aren’t deserving of this. However, this is what we’re faced with… And this is just the tip of the iceberg.”
LaGuardia also warned what could happen if voters do not pass the budget.
“More cuts and reductions will take place,” she said.
The Board of Education approved the budget by a 6-1 margin, with board member Richard Noble casting the only vote against it.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
MULLICA BOE APPROVES $8.8 MILLION BUDGET/ELIMINATES 12 JOBS
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18 comments:
This article is so misleading.
First, it mentions a tax levy of 2.4 percent, which would make the tax rate per $100 of assessed property value increase 2.21 cents to $1.16 which would increase taxes by $44 for a home assessed at $200,000. But then later in the article, it states "taxpayers also will be required to pay AN ADDITIONAL 1.2 CENTS PER $100 OF ASSESSED VALUE IN DEBT SERVICE THAT IS LEFTOVER FROM THE SCHOOL EXPANSION AND OTHER IMPROVEMENTS.
So in reality, the total tax rate per $100 of assessed is 3.41 cents, meaning that a home assessed at $200,000 will be paying approximately $68.00 in increased taxes.
Why the crap in this article, put the two numbers together and say what the TOTAL AMOUNT is and don't to baffle us with bullsh*t.
This increase and reduced programs? Freeze the wages for a year, save the jobs of your fellow teachers and share the pain with the taxpayers.
Add to the Mullica School 3.41 cents increase, the cost for the Greater Egg Harbor Regional School District of 8.2 cents and any increase from the township and there you have it.
The wage freezes should be for teachers, support staff and administration to be fair.
11:52 comment
I agree, across the board.
Re 11:51 pm
You forgot to add in the county tax.
With the small staff size, a pay freeze would not be enough to cover all cuts that have been made to staff. Also, pay freezes offer no guarantee of employees being returned to their positions - the BOE can use the money any way they want.
A pay freeze wouldn't do anything to lower the tax increase. With Noble actively campaigning against the budget, Mullica could be in for even more cuts if the budget doesn't get passed. But, I suppose the teachers will get blamed for that also.
Reporter got it wrong - Tom Carl voted against the budget also - check the minutes.
Where was Watson and Nevius at this important meeting?
Wages need to be frozen for three years and the staff needs to contribute more to its health care benefit costs if we are to save the schools from further personnel cuts during these tough economic times. The money is just not there. That's how it works in private business during recessions. Labor is where the vast majority of the costs are.
Did board member Billy Cheatem show to explain the regional school budget?
Lower Township school is a great example of a school where the teachers made concessions to save other teachers jobs. Their superintendent, which wouldn't work here, as Rick Goldberg is retiring, took a pay cut and will work, starting November for $43,660 (which is a starting teachers salary) and NO BENEFITS to set an example. http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/news/press/cape_may/article_573a76a8-3c6e-11df-867c-001cc4c03286.html
The Governor and the NJEA have both effectively turned off so many of the taxpayers that I don't see this budget passing, nor the GERH budget passing. This is just my personal opinion on the matter. We also have to deal with the County tax and the municipal tax as well and we don't know what they are going to be yet.
Times are tough all over and I am sorry, as much as I appreciate the teachers of our town, I also believe that there should be give and take and right now it's time to give. The teachers don't seem to understand, the taxpayers aren't against them, we're imploring them to please think about us also.
To 10:35, where was Watson and Nevius? Don't know about Nevius but heard that Watson took his kids out of the public school he represents and went on an island vacation. Yep, times are tough.
"Watson took his kids out of the public school he represents and went on an island vacation. Yep, times are tough."
The writer implies that since board member Watson has money the rest of us do too and we all can afford the constant tax increases. Its like saying because Watson has a big red dog, everyone does. I hope that we're not teaching this type of faulty reasoning in the classroom.
8:28 AM-no, what I see the writer saying is that during negotiations time, the board members should be around because of this. Supposedly, Watson asks questions during the BOE meetings and suddenly negotiation/budget time and he's on vacation. Priorities; he ran for BOE, got on and should be there during the tough times. What happened to the "golden boy Watson" that the MTEA "backed" during his election? Seems like he's lost his luster with them.
9:30 am post
The earlier writer was noting the board member's wealth and implying that times are not as tough as some would make them out to be. Just because Watson may have money, many of the rest of us are living from paycheck to paycheck, if at that, and have not been able to pay for a vacation in years because of the high taxes.
"Seems like he's lost his luster with them."
Most new board members are first recruited to run by the teachers, who expect favorable considerations from them at negotiation time. This may work for awhile, until the board member learns the true score and begins to stand up to the union. Then he or she looses his or support of the union and they try to undermine the member by running another novice to oppose him or her when they come up for re-election. That is why we have a newcomer running to oppose those current board members who are on the negotiations team this year who are up for re-election. That is why Kelly and Wyld keep getting re-elected and why they want Wyld made president, so she can select a negotiations team that is more favorable to the union's demands. Both Kelly and Wyld have relatives working in the school and know that they have reliable allies here.
Heard Nevius was working and could not get off.
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