Board of Education Unanimously Passed 2015-16 Budget

The Madison Board of Education unanimously passed its 2015-2016 budget earlier this week.

The BOE passed the budget during its latest meeting on Tuesday, April 28. Residents of Madison Borough can expected to see a tax increase of nearly 4 percent, accounting for an additional $298 for the average assessed home in the borough.

Superintendent Michael Rossi detailed some of the improvements and “good things that are going on in the district” in a presentation at the meeting. Some of the positive steps include, a state-of-the-art television studio at the high school, upgrades to the auditorium, one-on-one Chromebooks for students in grades 4-12 and a STEM initiative which includes curricular and physical infrastructure changes.

“As most are aware, the past several years have been a challenge, with increasing costs, trying to meet the technology needs of the students & district (especially in the face of the PARCC testing), all with very little increase in State Aid and less than the State Aid calculated by the State’s own formula,” the presentation stated. “And, all the while working as best we are able to provide the quality education expected in Madison – this year was no different.”

The BOE said it is challenging meeting the technology needs of students and the district without an increase in state aid. The board of education looked to maintain a certain set of principles, including maintain class size and all classes and programs from the prior year, look for opportunities to enhance educational opportunities and programs, and be considerate of the taxpayers dollar.

Four of the major costs in the budget include salaries, health benefits, pension and Social Security, and special education tuition placements.

Each of the major cost drivers have increased since the previous budget, accounting for nearly 85 percent of the district’s operating budget. The budget for 2015-16 is $35,047,390, compared with the 2014-15 budget of $33,386,887, resulting in an impact of $1,660,503 or 4.97 percent.

To read the entire budget click here or to read the presentation from Superintendent Rossi click here.