Tentative School Budget Calls for Average $226 Hike

Wyckoff taxpayers may be asked to approve an average tax increase of $226 should the school district budget for 2010-11 as it now stands go before voters in April.

However, the spending plan, currently at $33.2 million, is dependent on data not yet available to the administration and school board which could affect planned expenditures.

School board President Daniel Moynihan delivered a presentation of what he termed a "maintenance budget" at Monday's meeting of the board at Eisenhower Middle School. Moynihan detailed the challenges the district faces during this budget process while offering data on expected revenues and expenditures.

The planned $226 hike, based on the average assessed home value of $797,000, largely represents fixed costs such as salaries, benefits, utilities and special education expenses. For example, 62 percent of the $33.2 million plan would go toward salaries ($20 million) while health benefits are expected to cost the district $3.73 million, representing 11 percent of the plan. Special education and tuition expenses are expected to come in at $2.1 million, while utilities will cost the district approximately $1.1 million, the board president said.

Members of the Wyckoff Education Association are due a contracted 4.4 percent salary increase, while administrators, who are in contract negotiations with the board now, are due a 3.5 percent increase.

However, the district cannot simply increase the budget by any amount and put it to voters. It faces a 4 percent cap on expenditure increases, largely scuttling the board's ability to choose to increase funding in many areas.

"We don't really have a lot of new, exciting, fun stuff in here," Moynihan said. 

For example, textbook and classroom instruction costs are expected to stay stable while the board plans to defer some maintenance and capital projects at the district's schools, such as desired painting and paving, for a planned capital outlay of $295,000. "That's where (capital costs) we take it on the chin the most," Moynihan said today.

He also warned that doing so puts the board in a "pay me now or pay me later" situation, as the need for capital improvements only increases the longer the district puts it off.

Moynihan said the budget does include two staff additions: a therapist to replace an outsourced position and a secretary. Additionally, the role of technology coordinator is expected to be combined with the duties of the coordinator of special projects.

Perhaps the biggest wild card in the budgeting process is the aid expected from the state, which has not yet been announced. To draft the 2010-11 spending plan, the administration and board have assumed stable aid (almost $1.7 million in 2009-10) but are aware that aid could very well be cut, as has been discussed by the administration of Gov. Chris Christie.

Should aid be slashed, or the expenditure cap be lowered, the board would have to find other areas in which to save money. Moynihan indicated today that it would not be an easy process, as the board is "at a place where we're comfortable" with the 2010-11 plan.

If need be, the board president said the capital outlay could be lowered to make up lost aid. If enough money could not be identified to offset any bad news, the board could be forced to look at staffing and then teaching positions, although Moynihan was clear that such cuts are extremely undesirable.

"The biggest challenge is any cut... generally has a significant impact on the kids," he said.

However, the district will benefit from a recently announced waiver on health benefit costs that will represent $118,000 in relief while $626,000 in leftover funds from the current budget will be rolled into the 2010-11 plan.

"It comes back to the taxpayers in the form of tax relief," Moynihan said.

The board president said today that the board and administration will continue to work on the budget, which must be into the state by March 22, although the "majority of it is struck in place.

"We're constantly working on it," he said.

Moynihan expects to deliver presentations on the budget at each board meeting until the public vote, scheduled for April 20. A public hearing on the budget will be held at 7 p.m. April 1 at Eisenhower Middle School.

Additionally, the board president's budget presentation is attached to this story or can be found on the district's Web site, http://www.wyckoffps.org/wps/site/default.asp.