Ridgewood, Glen Rock Districts Receive Bumps in State Aid

Both the borough and village school districts will be receiving increased state aid funding for the 2012-2013 budget year, according to figures released by the state late Thursday afternoon.

, will receive $2,015,886 in total state aid for 2012-2013, an increase of $317,035.

"After hearing the Governor's budget address we were cautiously optimist that we might receive an increase in aid this year," said Ridgewood Board of Education President Michele Lenhard in an e-mail early Thursday evening. "We are very pleased to see a slight increase in our state aid as it will certainly help close the projected budget gap."

Officials have bemoaned the state purged its aid in 2010-2011, . Money has trickled in gradually over the past two budget seasons, though it's still about $1 million short of 2009 levels.

Even after the $317,000 state aid infusion, which represents a 19 percent increase over the current budget year, the district may still be short over $335,000.

Lenhard declined to speculate on potential staff or programming cuts Thursday, saying a preliminary budget will be presented at the board's Feb. 27 meeting. "At that point we will have a better understanding of the impact on the school district," she said.

Assistant Superintendent for Business Angelo DeSimone previously stated that a flat 2 percent tax rise would amount to an increased tax bill of around $200 for the average homeowner.

Aside from a budgeted 2 percent increase in staff employee salaries and more health care claims, an increase in school supplies for science kits will be a one-shot claim of around $340,000, according to administrators.

In and undecided.

The district will be presenting a budget that increases programs and hires additional staff with a zero percent increase to the taxpayer, which administrators said was a result of foresight and smart planning. It could be the only district in the state to claim such distinction, officials say.

The state aid figures are more gravy than anything. Glen Rock will be receiving a total of $$1,034,989 in state aid for 2012-2013, $222,533 more than the 2011-2012 budget year. The 29 percent increase is among the higher allotments in the county, which received a total of $17 million more than the current year.

Glen Rock school officials were not immediately available for comment just after 5 p.m. Thursday.

Gov. Chris Christe pledged an additional $213 million in state aid for public schools in his annual budget address. Schools with falling enrollment and the chronically-low-performing "Abbott" districts were the big losers – most will receive less state aid in 2012-2013 than they did in 2011-2012.