Final Budget Assumes Position, Program Restoration

A total of $317,800 worth of recommended position and program restorations were included in the final approved public schools budget voted on by the Board of Education Tuesday night at Madison High School.

The recommended restorations come after a long budget process that saw state funding eliminated, a defeated original proposed budget, and a reduced budget with recommendations by the Borough Council after that defeat.

However, due to a wage freeze that all district unions agreed to, the final budget actually has more positions included in it than the one that was defeated on April 20.

"We were not going to get all of those things back, but we're able to get many of those things back," Superintendent Dr. Richard Noonan said. "I really applaud the sense of shared sacrifice that was manifested by the entire staff to enable us to to reach down and restore some things that are just vitally important to the well-being of our school."

Noonan presented to the board the finance committee's recommended restorations on Tuesday night. Those were:

• A Central Elementary School reading specialist position. The largest of the three elementary schools had previously had two of these positions before the original budget removed both.
• A junior school guidance counselor position to full-time. The original budget recommended the position be part-time.
• A high school library position at 80 percent of the full-time equivalent.
• Restoring the elementary Spanish program to fourth and fifth grade only with one position. Previously, the program used two positions and was began in first grade. In the original budget, the program was eliminated. (For more on this program, click here)
• A computer technology support/integration position. It is still to be decided if it will be a hardware support position or a position combining teaching at the junior school with staff development at all teaching levels. This program had been talked about during the budget process, but was not included when state aid was eliminated.
• A preschool position to full-time. This will be paid for by stimulus funds and will not impact the local budget. There have been two of these positions, but the original budget had reduced one to part-time
• A part-time office support position at Central Avenue School. There have been two, but the original budget called to cut one full position.

The final budget amount was approved with a unanimous vote. However, the actual position and program restorations did not receive a vote. The board wanted another week to look into the elementary Spanish program, which if not restored in grades four and five would be added to the surplus. The amount of $131,941 is currently built into the budget as a surplus buffer.

The board also wanted more time to look into and discuss a high school activity fee that would generate an estimated $60,000 during the school year. That money is not included in the final budget that was approved.