Friday, April 23, 2010

Defeated Budget

As you may have heard, the Harding Township School budget was defeated on Tuesday, April 20 by a vote of 256-247. Following a defeated budget, the district is required to submit budget documentation and details to the local governing body, in this case the Harding Township Committee. Ultimately, the Harding Township Committee will establish an aggregate tax levy which they determine is appropriate. The Board of Education will have to make cuts in school expenses and programs, as necessary, in order not to exceed the Committee’s determined tax levy amount.

Our proposed budget included a 2.6% tax levy increase (third lowest in the county), equaling $50 on the average assessed Harding Township home. The district was able to achieve this by examining all expenditures, making several reductions, applying for educational grants and implementing cost savings measures. Additional cuts were not implemented by the district in light of their impact on your child’s educational experience. If the Township Committee requires additional cuts, we will be required to re-examine all of these areas. As we have seen in other districts in New Jersey, commonly cut programs include interscholastic sports and afterschool activities, such as clubs, music programs and school plays. Depending on the reductions required by the Township Committee, these activities will be discussed as possible areas of elimination. Class sizes may also be impacted if we are forced to reduce our teachers. In the long term, we should also be mindful that any money cut from the budget will create a lower base for future budgets, thus severely limiting our ability to make up for lost investments and /or reinstate eliminated programs in future years. The severity of the cuts will depend on how extensively the Township Committee decides to cut the permitted tax levy.

The current deadline for a tax levy decision from the Township Committee is May 19. The Township Committee is meeting on April 28, 2010 and May 19, 2010. The Board of Education is meeting on April 26, 2010 and tentatively May 10, 2010.

Please blog your comments and suggestions below!

45 comments:

Anonymous said...

Teachers have a year left in a 3 year contract and, despite what many may think, the salaries in HTS are the second lowest in Morris County, just ahead of Dover.

Teachers will be required to pay 1.5% of their base salaries towards health insurance starting in the fall. Taking a wage freeze with so little notice would have had a significantly negative impact on many teachers' abilities to make ends meet, having almost no notice and no time to prepare.

The superintendent and board had very little time to make adjustments to an already lean budget. What Governor Christie is doing to public education is unconscienable. That is, in my opinion, where the responsibility for this debacle belongs. It is a travesty, particularly in light of a $51 increase on a $1mm home.

People rest on their laurels thinking all is well and it came back to bite us. Now we all want to know what to do and it's too late. The opportunity to be heard was on April 20th.

What a shame.

Student said...

I will literally cry if we have no sports next year. I don't know why we would have to cut of the sports... it's what our school is partially known for. I can understand that we might have to cut off our play but that's fine. Why can't we take a break on class trip and such... just not our sports. I'll have no life.

JF said...

I am thankful for the 5 member, volunteer, board for their dedication as whole not just to keeping expenses in check and always having the students best interest in mind.

I think the BoE took great steps to increase revenues (added pre-school program) and decrease expenses (new pre-school program can be in this category as well, postpone new computers, removing Spanish from k-4). Of the options reported as on the table for cutting, they choose the least with the least impact to our children.

That said, the tax increases have to stop and we need to lead by example. I emphasize with the teachers. If I had to choose where "extra money" in the budget would go, it would be to attract and keep the best teachers. There is no extra and we must all tighten our belt.

My 2 income family has not seen a wage increase in 3 years and our coworkers are being laid off all the time, with no notice. I am doing 3 times the work and regularly don't get home to kiss my kids good night. Our healthcare costs have doubled and would jump at the opportunity to only paying 1.5%. I have tightened my belt and do what I must in these times.

This question is directed to Dr. Purnell and Mr. Bartlett: how much will it cost the town to go through this defeated school budget process?

I hold the citizen of Harding directly responsible for this cost. There has been almost ZERO citizen attendance at the BoE meetings where all the details of the budgets have been reviewed, sometimes for hours. NOT ONE PERSON SHOWED Up to say, I won't vote for that. Behind a curtain enough people threw a stone from a distance rather than attempting to get ahead of the curve, participate in the process and save the town this money.

Anonymous said...

I just read your direct email describing the impact of the defeated budget vote. I can only say that as a parent of a child in this school, I am disappointed that I was not informed enough in advance of the vote. Shame on me for not proactively seeking out a balanced and objective view of the impact of a passed or defeated budget prior to the election. I am not a regular reader of your blog. I prefer direct communication on important issues. While the sticker on my child's shirt on the day of the vote was creative, it still wasn't enough to get me to vote. I wish I had received a direct e-mail outlining the impacts of either budget outcome (balanced and objective are two words that come to mind) or a letter sent home with my child in advance of the vote. Your name carries weight, and I would have paid attention to an objective letter from you.
Food for thought...
Sincerely,
Ilene

Superintendent's Corner said...

Anonymous and Student: Thanks for your posting and thoughts. The state aid reduction calculations were disseminated nine days before our budget hearing. The Board worked extremely diligently with little time to make the proposed cuts. We kept the interscholastic sports and after school activities in the proposed budget, but they were part of the initial discussions for reduction.

JF: Thank you for your posting and perspective. Your posed question needs to be directed to the Township Committee. They have the ability to set the aggregate tax levy. You can certainly pose this question at the next Township Committee meeting on Wednesday.

Ilene: Thank you for your posting and feedback. I am sorry to hear that you did not receive any communication. You should have received our Connections four-page newsletter. It was disseminated to every resident in March and detailed the entire budget. I included a message on the front page. I sent home an additional letter and budget flyer the week before the election. To increase visibility, we blew up the letter and printed it on poster board to display in each building’s entrance foyer. All of the budget information (user-friendly budget, flyer, letter to parents and even a VideoCast “coffee time” with myself and the BA) was posted on the district homepage under the announcements section. I’m glad you liked the stickers, but I cannot take credit for them. The PTO disseminated the stickers and made phone calls. Moving forward, it might be a good idea to contact the school offices to make sure that we have your address in our database.

Thanks again for your postings!!!

Unknown said...

Tim:

I think the school was very pro-active in getting the word out about the need to vote. So much so, that I thought the school might get rebuked for getting too political.

You mentioned in your recent letter that class sizes may be impacted if you are forced to reduce teachers and I presume, and maybe incorrectly, that kindergarten would be the first level where a teacher reduction would be considered. Before that is pondered I would ask that consideration be given to putting the second graders back into one class. That would free up one teacher.

Sincerely,

Craig Bitler

Anonymous said...

I completely agree! In addition to the information sent home, the two articles in the Observer really got the word out! In fact, I think more was done this year than in previous years... I think it is more of a result of the times. It should be interesting to see how things turn out.

Anonymous said...

The Board did an excellent job at getting the word out about the budget! The website was loaded with information. How could you not hear about it? That is exactly the reason why the budget didn't pass. People just don't seem to care! The Board meetings were probably empty, as usual. How many of you who voted no, called the school or spoke to a Board member? Probably a small handful...

Anonymous said...

I agree that more could have been done to get out the vote. Maybe flyers sent home on Monday? Not telling people 'how' to vote, just reminding them 'to' vote. But yeah, it was a ridiculous turn out and people really ought to know what's going on in their own town especially with so much on the line. I also agree about board of ed meeting attendance.

With the costs of coaching stipends and transportation and the fact that there is such a good recreation department, I think this is something to think about even though it would be sad to cut it.

For me personally, the most important thing is to hang onto as many academic programs as possible and keep the student:teacher ratio down. There is not one study where they say that larger class sizes are better for the kids. I agree about merging the 2nd grade into one.

These are difficult decisions and no one wants to see anything be cut. I'm sure the Board and Dr. Purnell will act with the best interests of the students in mind. That's what they do.

Anonymous said...

Let me clarify, I don't think that more should have been done from the school. I remember getting phone calls from the PTO in years past. I didn't receive a call this year. Also, Madison's PTA distributed flyers with helpful information.

Anonymous said...

We received the newsletter in March and the flyer the Friday before. We also received the district recording on the day of the election reminding everyone to "make their vote count."

Anonymous said...

Thanks for your blog and for keeping an open discussion on these issues.

I don't think that the district administrators and non-resident teachers should attend the Township Committee meeting on Wednesday. That would send the wrong message. This is a time for the residents to speak about the budget defeat.

Superintendent's Corner said...

Thanks for your feedback/postings!

Mr. Bitler: The Board will look at all options regarding class sizes. The current 2nd grade has already been an area of discussion. Thanks for the input and your continued support.

I realize that many of you have concerns regarding how/why the budget was defeated. I too have concerns. Now that we are facing this crisis, I would love to focus our attention on where to go from here. For example, your thoughts on middle school sports and courtesy busing? This will give you an opportunity to voice your concerns regarding the potential cuts...

Anonymous said...

I am in total agreement re: out of district teachers and administrators staying away from the town council meeting. Let the TC do their job. They know everyone at HTS is concerned. They have a hard job ahead of them and any drama would be counter productive.

In this case, I believe less is definitely more. Let them do what they have been charged to do since the budget went down. Everyone will hear about this soon. I'm pretty sure time is of the essence.

concerned said...

We are in an area that I assume is at risk to losing busing. I don't the priority for the school should be busing. What good would it be to get the students to school if you can't teach them as well.

To this end, I would be willing to give up busing so that my children can have sports and elementary school Spanish and (hopefully G&T programs).

Has there been any discussion about elimination of the principal position and having a combined Principal and Superintendent?

With a full time Student Services director and full time BA, for a school of 350 kids, a full time principal and superintendent is over staffed based on my discussion with principal and superintendents in other NJ districts. In fact most of those I talked with said a full time Student Services Director for a school 3 times the size is considered a luxury.

Also given the fact that Dee is retiring, this is an "easy" choice as no one has to lose their job.

Craig Bitler said...

Tim:

Would you explain, at least for me, what courtesy busing is? Thanks.

I was going to mention busing in my first email but I thought it might be too controversial. I have seen some of those big buses leave the school with what appears to be only six or eight kids. If this is not simply poor vision on my part then it strikes me as a very expensive endeaver based on a per/student basis.

Sincerely,

Craig Bitler

Anonymous said...

JF, Taxes will always increase. There is no way around it, especially in NJ. Let's face it, most people in Harding make a lot of $$$ and, since Christie did away with the tax for people making over $400K, many of us are insulated.

For me, this is about kids, not taxes. Harding is not a microcasm of the rest of the state or even much of Morris County, and this kind of christie slashing serves to further widen the gap between socioeconomic classes. I think that's horrible and it's scary to me that one man can come into office and inside of 2 1/2 months wreak so much havoc with something as important as public education! He is terrifying and is wielding too much unchecked power and he is wreckless about it.

EpargRevol said...

I hope people will show up at the Township Committee meeting Wednesday April 28th at 7:30 to express their views directly to their elected officials, on where the budget should end up.

I noticed that the detailed 2010-2011 budget posted on the school website has the file name "user-friendly-budget" - it is anything but - the way it displays makes it nearly impossible to read!

I think one reason the budget failed may have been the eyebrow raising 5% spending increase year over year published in "Connections" Now it seems that was a mistake and the spending increase is in line with the proposed tax increase of 2.7%. That was a very unfortunate typo!!

With regard to the 2.7% increase that was proposed, it does look good relative to past increases. However, the fact that the budget has been allowed to increase at an average of more than 4% for many years (the power of compound interest) is what has gotten us into this pickle.

Anonymous said...

I think everyone with an interest should come to the TC meeting whether as a taxpayer, a parent, a teacher or whatever. What they decide to do will have a signficiant impact on all of those groups.

I do have a question: I have read all the barbs being published in the paper and included in speeches of Christie vs. the teachers union and while I am not in favor of his tactics, in this economy I think public employees (like those in the priivate sector) should be expected to have their salaries flat. I understand the Harding union has not agreed to do that. Can you confirm that all non-union employees of the school are keeping their compensation with a 0increase?

Anonymous said...

Can the Township Committee accept the budget the way it is? Particular since the tax increase is so small and only 16% of the population in Harding voted. I would encourage the committee to do this. Can residents speak at the Committee meeting and recommend this? Thanks,

HTS Parent

Superintendent's Corner said...

Thank you everyone for the thought-provoking posts!

Concerned: The Board will be looking at re-organization options for school administrators at the Board Retreat in June. We will certainly keep all options open for discussion. We have a full time Business Administrator but do not have a full time Director of Student Services. Currently, we have a part-time consultant that is shared with Long Hill. Thanks again for your post and keep the ideas coming…

Mr. Bitler: The district provides courtesy busing for children within 2 miles of the school. We are not obligated to provide for the busing, so it is considered “courtesy.” The problem is that our roads and walking areas near the school remain dangerous for children. If we removed courtesy busing, the town would need to put in sidewalks and crossing guards…

Peter: I loved your comment about the “user-friendly” budget. So true... The state dictates how a “user-friendly” budget should be constructed. The tax levy increase indicated in the Connections newsletter was correct. You may be referring to the total operating budget increase in the table on page three. This is not the tax levy but is incorrect due to the notification of zero state aid on March 26th. The taxpayers vote on the tax levy not the total operating budget. Thanks again for your feedback!

I have already informed the Board that I will forgo my salary increment and many annual contracted employees have volunteered to do the same… Regarding the Township Committee, they have the power to accept the budget “as is.” Residents can attend the meeting on Wednesday night, I’m sure that any input would be welcomed. We are fortunate to have a very supportive Township Committee.

EpargRevol said...

Thanks Tim for responding to my post. While the State mandated budget software is not something you can do much about, I don't think the State mandates that the numbers should not line up under the proper headings!

Yes, I was referring to the incorrect 5% plus operating budget increase that was published in "Connections." While voters can vote only on the tax levy, I think the operating budget is important to look at. A 5% increase (even with state aid in place) is too high in this environment.

Finally, thanks for forgoing your salary increment this year. That shows real leadership and shared sacrifice. I noticed in the State mandated user friendly budget posted on this website that the Business Administrator makes $104,737 base salary for 260 work days and gets 25 vacation days, 12 sick days and 4 personal days. This strikes me as very generous compared to the private business market. Is the Business Administrator also forgoing an increase in salary or is that position covered under collective bargaining? Thanks.

Anonymous said...

Dr. Purnell, Read with interest your response to Mr. B about courtesy busing. We have been told by yourself and the BOE, repeatedly, that there is no courtesy busing in Harding, it is suscription busing that the board feels parents should pay for regardless of the lack of safe passage. Has the BOE reversed their position? That would be great! There have been many meetings with concerned parents in the last few years who would love courtesy busing. (courtesy is free due to hazard, subscription is a fee since the law does not provide funding for students under two miles of the school). Most residents write a check, some of us have resisted due to financial concerns and the fact that we are physically two miles, but the calculations are based on bus stops not your home. In any event, the blog made it appear that transportation was an area that could be cut from the budget when it is required by law for children over two miles from school (2.5 for higher grades)and currently paid for by families under two miles. If we now have courtesy, please let us know! There are no sidewalks or crosssing guards in town--making walking to school unsafe, and the buses by necessity pass those under two miles in our small town, so courtesy busing, IMO, should be provided. I'm sure with the budget crisis the board will not like to give up the $ from transportation fees but your blog made it appear that this was a service provided as a "courtesy". Aside from the busing critique, we fully support the budget, teachers, etc. and show that support by voting yes. Hope Harding can maintain the advantages we currently enjoy.

Superintendent's Corner said...

Peter: Yes, you are correct that the total operating budget would NOT be going up 5.25% due to the reduction in state aid. The “Connections” newsletter contained the information regarding the receipt of state aid and was NOT correct for the proposed budget.

Our Business Administrator is actually one of the lowest salaried BAs in the county. I realize that it is easy to calculate and compare his vacation, sick and personal days; however, for a true comparison, you would need to also include all of his weekend and evening hours.

Anonymous: Thanks for your post. I understand your concern with the semantics of my vocabulary regarding courtesy busing. I will use the opportunity to break down the semantics of subscription versus courtesy. You are correct with the difference between the terms. However, the district spends $1,365.00 per child, thus charging $360 for the first child and $100 for each additional child. This means that our district/taxpayer is actually covering over 80% of the costs for the first child and 93% of any additional child as a “courtesy” to these school families.

Finally, I would ask you to contact the school regarding the calculations of mileage. The mileage should be calculated by the shortest distance along public roadways between the entrance of the student’s home and nearest entrance of the school building. We all understand the concerns with hazardous roads and I cannot agree more with your concerns on hazardous roads/sidewalks! Depending on the reduction from the town and if this reduction becomes a reality, the safety along public roadways would be a municipal responsibility.

All school districts are required to complete the same state and federal mandates regardless of their size. In larger school districts, there are more people to carry the task burden.

Anonymous said...

Nice job of keeping people in the loop. Maybe there are others but I've never heard of a superintendent keeping a blog and then responding to comments. It's a pretty gutsy thing to do because you are making yourself vulnerable.

I think it's also a good thing to do because it makes you accessible and it is an efficient way for you to educate and for us learn; no one has come out swinging which is good.

So thanks.

B. Brennan said...

I was disappointed by some of the comments made by the public Wednesday.

One resident said he was for the budget, but he didn’t vote. Another said he voted no, although he had not read the budget.

A week before the election I received a four page newsletter in the mail with a letter from the Superintendent, the budget and an explanation. Dr. Purnell also referenced additional materials that were sent home and posted at the school in his blog comments.

I wish those people who had attended the meeting and did not vote or did not read the materials had spent 15 minutes reading the budget and 20-30 minutes to vote. Instead they ended up spending two hours at the Township Committee meeting after the budget was defeated, trying to persuade the Township Committee not to cut any programs.

Anonymous said...

I'm glad the one anonymous blogger referenced "courtesy" busing. Sounds like we can raise those "subscription" busing charges since they don't benefit our entire student body! Glad the blogger raised the concern...

Anonymous said...

It certainly would be nice to have unlimited funds available to pay for all the educational expenses required for all the children. Sadly, there just isn't enough money for everyone to have what they want.

Why do people have such a hard time understanding this?

Anonymous said...

Who is asking for unlimited funds? All the budget is doing is replacing the State Aid portion of funds. The BOA had a 0% in place until the State took away their funds. Why is that so hard to believe.

Anonymous said...

I don't think people are asking for everything they want for their child's education, they want the Board of Education to provide a thorough and efficient educational program for the public school children. I do think the Board of Education has done that with this budget, they teachers' salaries are low and they already contribute to their health care. There are no "extras" in the budget. I guess if you want extras you would pay for your child to attend private school which many in Harding Township cannot afford. We are not all wealthy.

I would advise the township committee to accept the budget "as is" since the increase is so small. Will there be another committee meeting where residents can voice their opinion? What happened at the last township committee meeting when they discussed the school budget?

HTS parent

J Flynn said...

You can see a write up of all town meetings at the Harding Township Civic Association website.

Here is the write on the school budget portion of the last meeting:

http://www.hardingcivic.org/our-town/township-committee/178-defeated-school-budget.html

tax payer said...

I keep hearing that we have the lowest salaries in Morris County.
I would like additional information on how that number is calculated and what other considerations we need to make in assessing it? Are we comparing apples to apples? Are we comparing salaries only for an elementary schools? I would think high school teacher salaries are on average higher. How do we allow for the possibility that HT teachers may not have the same level of educational credentials? How many of HT teachers have Masters degrees? Is it possible that HT teachers are younger with less experience and thus garner lower salaries? How do our class sizes compare to the other districts that you are making comparisons with? Is it possible that HT classes average 12 students versus some others may average over 20 (and thus presumably entitled to a higher salary).

So making the claim that we have the lowest average salaries may not even be relevant in this discussion.

Further, why should teachers be less subject to the economy than the rest of us? Many others are losing jobs with no notice and having to contribute more to health insurance plans. It's not fun for any of us.

And by the way, who says spending more money necessarily equates to a higher quality education?

For those who are so concerned about losing the extracurriculars, why not do the fundraising that private schools do to meet the tuition shortfalls? I am not convinced that the public at large is obligated to pay for these items in hard times. Let those who enjoy the benefits support them or lose them. Parents pay tons of money to have their kids on various travel teams, take karate, piano or dance lessons. Most can certainly afford small fees to participate in school activities. Of course, there can be exceptions made for those who truly can't afford these fees.

We all have to make sacrifices within our own personal budgets and no school, teacher, or administrator should hide behind the mantra that we are "cheating our children" out of a good education because we want to be fiscally responsible. Governor Christie is making some very tough decisions that may not add to his popularity, but in the long run may help save our state from bankruptcy.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps the superintendent has time to keep a blog and respond because he has a lot of free time. As I understand it, the only reason a "district" with a little over 300 students requires a superintendent is because there are two buildings. Let's connect the two buildings with a covered walk-way and eliminate the need for a superintendent. Then we can use the savings on that to keep some of the sports programs.

Really, is it necessary to have a superintendent when a principal and a vice-principal could handle the needs of our unusually small district?

Anonymous said...

response to Peter: re
Business Administrator works 260 days,
There are 365 days in the year 104 days of those fall on weekends.

The salary and vacation time do not seem out of line with industry. In fact, I suspect the B.A.would probably earn more outside of government and have a heck of a lot less hassle.

Anonymous said...

Has there been any response by the town to the budget yet?

I just read the "Budget Analysis" article on the civic association's website. Assuming you saw it before it was posted, any comments?

Superintendent's Corner said...

Thank you for your feedback/thoughts/comments!

B. Brennan: I completely agree with your thinking. Maybe this defeat will impress upon people the importance of making their vote count.

Mr. Flynn: Thanks for the Township Committee minutes!

Anonymous on Superintendent: Actually, according to 18A:17-20.5, a district can appoint an administrative principal who essentially would complete the obligations of the Superintendent (Ensure that all students in the district receive adequate academic programs and services, equitable treatment, and are served in a safe and healthy learning environment; Manage the day-to day-operations of the district as its chief executive; Draft and prepare recommendations for policies; Oversee the implementation of board policies and the development of appropriate administrative regulations; Provide educational leadership in the design and implementation of programs and services to accomplish the district goals; Ensure the annual performance appraisal of staff; Develop/maintain an effective process for recruiting, screening, selecting and assigning employees, and for handling grievances and termination procedures; Prepare recommendations for employee compensation; Recommend all staff appointments and terminations; Prepare evaluation reports for the board regarding the educational program; Maintain an effective district-wide communications system; Develop and maintain a process for two-way communication with the community; Prepare recommendations for the annual budget and tax rate necessary to finance approved programs and services; Ensure proper fiscal control in day-to-day operations; Ensure proper management of school property; Manage and implement the district's long-range plan for site acquisition, facilities, and equipment to ensure an adequate learning environment for all students - taken from Chamberlain School District, SD). The Board will be looking administrative structure options in the upcoming months.

tax payer: You raise excellent points regarding “average salaries.” The average salary is certainly not the greatest position to support the proposed budget. However, our quality of education in Harding is our greatest argument in favor of the budget and our teachers are the reason. I agree that spending does not necessarily equate to successful schools. Look at all of the money we are dumping into the Abbott districts! However, our Board has worked hard to keep spending at a minimum, as evidence of the $146,066.51 that we returned to the Township. We are looking at afterschool activities as potential avenues for “pay to participate.” We will continue to provide a high quality and challenging education for our children. Feel free to contact my office if you would like specific answers to any of your questions.

Members of the Township Committee and members of the Board of Education will meet again tomorrow morning to further discuss the defeated budget. The Township Committee is currently reviewing the submitted documentation and information.

Anonymous said...

Wow, I object to the swipe taken at the superintendent for keeping a blog.

It is really helpful to know what is happening in real time and this is the method he chooses. This is not an indication that he is not busy.

It's a way of communicating with the public and I approve of it 100%. We need to know what is going on during these troubling times.

Superintendent's Corner said...

The Township Committee put forth a number that was not pleasing to the Board of Education this morning. Discussions will continue between the Township Committee and Board of Education during the upcoming days. The Township Committee has scheduled a special meeting to discuss the matter on Monday evening (5/17/10).

Anonymous said...

As far as I can tell, the town council isn't helping matters at all.

I think they will wait until the 11th hour and then give the district a dollar amount at the deadline leaving no options for the Board of Education. The district's hands are tied until the town council releases a dollar amount to work with.

As a taxpayer, parent and income-provider whose job is at risk (is anyone really safe these days?), I find this unacceptable.

How many districts with failed budgets have already moved beyond this and put plans in place for next year?

This is not a rhetorical question.

If this had been a landslide defeat, that would be one thing. Nine votes? I attribute that to apathy vs. a rant for an overhaul of a district which was, just a few months ago, officially monitored and determined to be "high performing."

We won't even recognize Harding Township School as our own when this is overwith and that has far reaching implications, including real estate values in any area which feeds into the Harding Township School.

This is unconscienable on the part of the town council. I can't wait for the town council elections to take place.

Anonymous said...

That's a really good point actually. I hadn't thought about property values. Harding School has always been a draw for people looking to move. Schools matter to people with children and HTS has always been well regarded. I moved here for its reputation and have always been pleased.

If there are pending cuts - which I think are unnecessary unless you solely want to make a statement about shared sacrifice which makes a case for tunnel vision - are deep and impact class size and current programs, the school will become less desirable and people will not choose to live here. Try to sell your house then! It doesn't take long for bad news to travel.

The focus is now on the town council instead of on the board of education and that is where the responsibility lies.

This district's hands are firmly tied until they have a dollar figure to work with. It should be a modest cut, if at all, given the increase was going to be $51 on a house appraised at $1mm. I can pay that out of pocket and know that almost all residents of the residents of this town can pay that and more. Now you'll be paying like fee for service...pay to play for example.

Christie is poisoning the well for public education. Instead of listening to the rhetoric of a politician, get the facts and start to think about what cuts will do to the quality of education in this school and all public schools where most children are educated.

At HTS, you can say good bye to the programs that make us special and enrich our children's education.

You can say good bye to small class sizes, and if you read any literature you will ALWAYS learn that smaller is better. Makes sense.

Say good bye to experienced teachers who can mentor the new teachers who are trying to survive on $40K at the bottom of the pay scale in the state of NJ. Why bother?

Consider what the governor is doing to public education. Who wants to be a teacher in the state NJ with all of these mandates and constraints with no discussion? I sure wouldn't. He is, in my opinion, a petty tyrant, misusing and abusing his power.

This is such a travesty and now I hold the town council as responsible as Christie.

Anonymous said...

Criticizing the superintendent for hosting a blog? Are you serious? We should be commending him!!! I’ve been a part of this community for seven years and I’ve NEVER seen such an open dialogue about our schools… The district should be commended for doing this!

Anonymous said...

"Maintain an effective district-wide communications system; Develop and maintain a process for two-way communication with the community"

Part of the job description. A blog is a 21st Century way to do so. Give the guy a break.

Tend to what really matters and call our town council members and ask them what their motivation or reasoning is for holding out on the budget numbers.

This kind of conduct is unprofessional, ridiculous and not fair to the teachers, administrators, and staff who need to know if they have jobs or not and, most importantly, it's not fair to the students who will suffer the biggest losses in all of this.

Anonymous said...

Dr Purnell, has the town council given you a dollar amount yet? What is the deadline for them getting one to you?

If not, once you get it what happens next?

Superintendent's Corner said...

The Board of Education and Township Committee have been working on this for the past two weeks. The Board is not happen with the unofficial "number" that has been presented. I believe that an official announcement will occur at the Township Committee meeting on Monday evening. Next steps are contingent on the official "number."

Anonymous said...

Why is this taking so long when other districts have moved beyond this already. This seems like a political battle rather than the town council acting in the best interests of its own children. I'm starting to wonder why I live here. Yes, I know I can leave if I don't like it so no need to go there.

if you have a town council that is not supportive of their school, THAT is a huge problem.

I love the Harding Township School so don't spin this as an indictment against the administrators, teachers or Board of Ed.

That it is not.