School Board Approves Preliminary Budget

The West Orange Board of Education unanimously passed a $132,977,874 tentative budget for the 2013-2014 school year, containing a $3.2 million hike over last year’s plan.

"This is still a work in progress, however we had to present a tentative budget to the county this week,” Board president Michelle Casalino said at Monday night's meeting. "We are not done with this budget. We have to analyze a lot more data."

The proposed operating budget of $132,977,874 would set the local tax levy at $122,203,165 — $3,203,034 more than last year's $119,000,131 figure. Officials were unable to provide a figure on how much the tax hike would be for township homeowners.

When reached Tuesday, Casalino said, "We still want to get that tax down. Obviously that's too high."

She explained, the board asked the administration to revisit how the budget can be cut to lower taxes. The board and administration will meet on Monday, March 11 to continue discussions.

"Like many compromises neither side is entirely happy," interim West Orange Superintendent James O'Neill said. "So we can never get exactly what we would like to provide for the students and never is exactly what taxpayers would like it to be."

O'Neill explained even if the district did not hire or purchase anything new for schools, the budget would increase because of costs the administration contracts out. 

In anticipation of federal funding being cut because of the sequestration, business administrator Mark Kenney said the district has budgeted costs at 85 percent of last year's federal funding for programs. 

West Orange received flat funding from New Jersey this year, which gives the district a total in $6,809,707 of state aid.

The district budget is required to be sent to the county for review on Thursday.