School Budget Discussions in Cedar Grove

Cedar Grove Schools Superintendent Dr. Gene Polles presented the final $23.6 million 2012-13 school budget at the district’s board of education meeting Monday night.

The 2013 budget represents a 2 percent increase, or $464,000, over the current budget, Polles said, which will be used to fund new curriculum enhancements and hirings and address some needed building repairs.

The district also announced a $140,897, or 2 percent, state aide increase for 2013. Last July, the district also received $244,259 from the state. The money was used for property tax relief for Cedar Grove residents, Polles said.
 
Under the proposed budget, a homeowner with a home assessed at the township average of $470,400 will see his or her taxes rise $55.34 per $100,000 of assessed valuation, Polles said. In the 2012 budget, homeowners saw tax hikes of $75 per $100,000 of assessed valuation.

The 2012-13 budget will provide several hirings at all district schools, he said.

“All programming at district schools will remain the same,” Polles said, “and we will be adding some positions. 

For instance, the district plans to add: 

• A total of one shared elementary world language teacher to the North End and South End elementary schools
• A total of two afterschool remedial teachers to the North End and South End elementary schools
• A new novel study teacher to the third- and fourth-grade curriculums
• One Spanish teacher to the elementary school
• Two new math teachers to Memorial Middle School to help implement block math periods of 84 minutes
• One band and one orchestra teacher to a before-school program
• One math basic skills and one English basic skills teacher to Cedar Grove High School
• A part-time Spanish teacher for the high school
• A freshman girl’s basketball coach and junior varsity girl’s tennis coach

The budget for instructional programs will see a significant increase from $7,947,514 to $8,562,209, budget figures show. Spending will increase $509,602 for regular instructional programs, while basic skills and remedial programs will increase by $103,565. Staff training programs will increase by $27,578 compared to last year’s budget. 

The district also lists several potential capital projects in the schools under the new budget, including a turf field, new track, new bleachers, new student locker rooms and new security and surveillance for the elementary schools.

The board also announced it has reached an agreement with the Essex Regional Educational Services Commission where they will lease out the first floor of the Leonard R. Parks school beginning in July for the next 10 years. The annual rental fee will be $380,000 for the first year and there will be a 2 percent annual increase in subsequent years.

The board’s next will be on Monday, April 2 at 8 p.m. in the North End School Media Center.