R.B. schools budget calls for 1-cent tax increase
Public hearing March 19 at primary school
BY MELISSA KARSH Staff Writer

RED BANK - The Red Bank Board of Education (BOE) introduced a $15.82 million preliminary budget at its Feb. 26 workshop meeting.

For the second year in a row, the proposal calls for a 1-cent increase per $100 of assessed property value.

District Schools Superintendent Laura Morana gave a detailed overview of the annual budget, which was officially adopted for introduction by BOE members at the meeting.

"Red Bank is already paying more than its fair share of taxes, so we've been very careful about every dollar," said Ben Forest, chairman of the finance committee.

He added, "I'm confident that it's a solid and good budget."

The owner of an average property assessed at $406,627 can expect to pay an additional $40.66 annually, or $3.39 per month, under the new budget.

The total amount of the district's budget to be raised by taxes is $11.6 million.

A

t $255,548 the budget increase falls

well below the 4 percent annual cap set by the state.

"We are trying to make the best possible solution that will benefit the kids as well as be responsive to our taxpayers," said Morana. "We want to create a solid base that would enable us to create a good budget the following year as well."

For the second year in a row, the district used zero-based budgeting, which is when a budget is built from zero, rather than the previous year's budget.

"The concept of zero-based budgeting or modified zero-based budgeting truly allows you to analyze the needs of the district, the needs of the school, the needs at the classroom level, to be able to be responsible in your financial planning and therefore being also responsible and responsive to the needs of the community as well," said Morana.

Included in the budget is a $942,000 surplus, a portion of which will be used to offset certain facilities projects at both the primary school and the middle school, according to district school Business Administrator Annie Darrow.

These projects include financing security doors, replacement windows, student desks as well as capital projects.

Some of the capital projects include security cameras and a storage shed at the middle school and resurfacing the courtyard, sidewalks, parking lots and playground area at the primary school.

The district received $2,984,057 in state aid for the 2008-09 school year, a portion of which will be transferred to the Red Bank Charter School.

The charter school transfer payment is $1,605,193, which is a reduction from the 2007-08 transfer, according to Darrow.

L

ast year, $1,793,314 of the district's

$2,346,899 received in state aid was transferred to the charter school.

The staffing figures do not show much of a change from the 2007-08 budget, with the addition of one second-grade class and the elimination of one special education class for the 2008-09 budget.

A new addition to the budget would be a shared public relations coordinator with Red Bank Regional High School in Little Silver.

Forest questioned the need to pay one-fifth of the expense for the public relations coordinator, saying, "I'm not sure if I'm comfortable with the public relations thing."

Other initiatives include reassessments of the science and mathematics programs, the expansion of the AVID program to seventh-grade students, the enhancement of the technology program to include new computers and equipment, the enhancement of the ESL program at the middle school, an expanded middle school enrichment program, comprehensive security system and PSAT administration for eighth-grade students.

Residents will get to vote on the budget as well as the candidates running for seats on the nine-member school board on April 15.

Three seats are up for re-election, belonging to incumbents board President Peter L. Noble, Harrison Avenue, Janet Jones, Newman Springs Road, and Rosemary Kopka, Highland Avenue.

All three long-term board members are running unopposed for re-election.

A public hearing on the final budget will take place March 19 at 7:30 p.m. at the Red Bank Primary School cafeteria, located at 222 River St.