Galloway, Mullica townships expected tonight to recommend budget cuts for GEHR school district

From the Press of Atlantic City, May 11, 2010. Emily Previti, Staff Writer

Elected officials in two municipalities are expected to recommend tonight that the Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District cut as much as $1 million from its budget.

Voters from Egg Harbor City and Mullica, Galloway and Hamilton townships last month rejected the district's $69.4 million financial plan for the 2010-11 school year.

When voters reject a public school budget, it is submitted to the local governing body for review. Although the municipality can suggest how much to save and how to do it, the district has the final say on what to cut.

In this case, municipal officials have said they want a wage freeze and health care contributions that would amount to between $800,000 and $1 million in savings, Galloway Township Councilman Dennis Kleiner said Monday.

Galloway and Mullica Township officials expect for formalize the suggestions tonight, joining Egg Harbor City and Hamilton Township.

The Greater Egg Harbor Regional Education Association has already offered to freeze pay for all 440 employees it represents. With a switch to the state health care plan, that would save $1.5 million. But district officials turned down that offer, countering with one that cut salaries, President Madeline Avery said Monday.

"I feel for the taxpayer. I am one, in Galloway. I'm a parent," she said.

The union also sought retroactive raises of between 3 percent and 3.5 percent to account for current school year during which employees worked with an expired contract, Avery said.

"We've worked without a contract for a year and the students have not been affected as a result," she said. "That's about to change."

Avery declined to provide details on what the union intends to do differently going forward.

Greater Egg Harbor Regional Superintendent Steve Ciccariello declined comment about whether district had turned down the wage freeze, citing the unresolved negotiations.

"At this point in time, (a salary freeze) has not been agreed upon," he said. "The board offered a generous and realistic arrangement that was not accepted."

Avery and Ciccariello each said they have not yet set a date for more negotiations.

Once Galloway and Mullica make their positions official, school officials can get to work finalizing cuts. They must do that before May 19.

Cicariello said he expected the board would meet again the next week.

The district has notified 43 employees, including 27 teachers, administrators and support staff, that they could lose their jobs.