The first day of spring is one thing, and the first spring day is another. The difference is sometimes as great as a month — Henry Van Dyke. Vol. II, No. 12 A Forbes Newspaper Thursday, March 21,1991 233-9696 P.O. Box 2790, Wostfield 07091 15 Cents Where The Money Goes In millions District may lose 20 teachers Other • 3.4 • 2.2 and Municipal Court Capital Improvements due to stringent budget cap O 1.57 dience, increased urban school aid, cut • 1.95 By Stephanie Brown 2 at the second step. Starting salary for lection Record assistant editor suburban school aid, moved the responsi- teachers in 1990-91 was $26,463. On the • 0.931 bility for social security and pension other hand, 222 teachers are at the 13th, A state-imposed school budget cap of costs from the state level to local dis- or highest, step. In 1990-91, teachers on • 0.8617 7.5 percent may cause the elimination of tricts, eliminated compensatory educa- Insurance and Pensions over 20 teachers, in addition to other that level were paid $52,955. and Roads • 0.193283 tion aid, capped spending, and gave dis- When the cuts are made, Foley said, staff cuts, Schools Superintendent Mark tricts a five-year transition period. Under Smith said. they are made by seniority; hence, the \ 0 2.6 the original act, Westfield was termed a teachers with lower salaries will be the Revisions to the Quality Education Act "transition foundation" district, meaning Health and Welfare ral Government first to go. Also, he said, a teacher would which were passed by the state legisla- it would get some foundation aid from probably be laid off and a department Parks and Recreation • 0.074 ture last week will permit the school bud- the state during the transition period. Sewerage and Solid Waste head demoted to the teacher's position, Library get to be increased by only $2,610,969. Under the new act, money from the act rather than laying off the department The maximum permitted budget for 1991- is given over to property tax relief, and head. Record graphics by Kim Awbrey 92 is $37,423,892. By comparison, last Westfield loses its foundation aid after The other criteria for staff cuts, Foley year's budget of $34,812,923 contained a four years. Also, social security and pen- said, will be by category or teaching sub- Where The Money Comes From: Revenues $3.1 million increase over the previous sion payments are shifted back to the ject (English, math, physical education, year's budget. state for two years, and compensatory ed- etc.). Other In millions Smith said at this week's Board of Edu- ucation aid is reinstated, as is a more Layoffs of custodians will be based on Receipts from delinquent taxes cation meeting that $1.2 million will need stringent cap. The revisions also elimi- seniority, Foley said. to be cut from the budget the district's Fees and permits • 10.2 nate the transition period, giving districts Of the administrators, there is one su- finance committee has come up with in around nine days to revise their budgets. Sate of municipal assets £?. • 22 order to meet the cap. perintendent, two assistant superinten- "We're cutting $1.2 million out of the dents, nine principals, five assistant prin- Business & personal properly This amount will include the elimina- Sewer flow charges • 1.4 budget, and we're given nine days to do cipals, and 15 department heads. Foley tion of 19 to 22 teaching positions, six to it," Smith said. "I have no idea what was Municipal courts fines ES 1.95 estimated department heads earn $6,000 nine administrative positions, four custo- in the minds of the legislators who voted to $7,000 more than teachers annually. D 0.452 dial positions, two secretarial positions, a on this, other than that people would not The lowest paid administrator makes reduction in the cafeteria service at the be too upset because of property tax re- about $45,000, the highest (Smith) over Anticipated surplus • 0.3709 high school, reduction or elimination of lief." $100,000. However, Foley said, the super- lanes for municipal purposes • 0.338 summer school, and the elimination of Smith said the teachers will be cut intendent is the only administrator earn- some athletic programs. n El 0.2 "across the district in grade level. This ing over $100,000. Interest on investments & deposits Smith hopes these cuts will help offset will mean larger class sizes at the ele- Smith and Foley both suggested that E2 0.188 a 36.4 percent increase in current con- mentary level. At the intermediate school the board try to get a cap waiver. A dis- tractual commitments (including pension, and high school level, it will mean fewer Franchise & gross receipts taxes CD 0.56 trict can apply for a cap waiver if it is social security, insurance and worker choices outside of basic English, science, already in a lease purchase agreement, if • 1.24 compensation costs) and a 28 percent math, and so forth." there is a significant jump in enrollment, hike in special education tuition (for stu- The first program casualty came later or if special education costs increase by dents who cannot be educated in district in the meeting when a proposed Italian more than five percent over the previous schools and must be sent to other IV course was tabled. "Based on (budget) year, Westfield qualifies in the special Property tax relief from schools). The increase in contractual uncertainties I'm requesting that we not education category. commitments is almost entirely due to a add additional programs at this time," Foley said he will also ask the state rise in health insurance costs, Assistant Smith said. Commissioner of Education for a cap the state might offset hike in Superintendent for Business William Foley said the district currently cm- waiver of about $300,000 to complete two Foley said. ploys 381.4 teachers. This includes coun- capital projects: a new fire detection sys- Smith compared the original Quality sellors, nurses, and members of the child tem for Westfield High School and Edi- Westfield's municipal taxes Education Act with the revised act to study team, but docs not include depart- son Intermediate School ($170,000), and By Donald Plzzi Jr. show how Westfield suffers more under ment heads, who teach four periods per roof work for Washington School ($70,000 Record staff writer the revisions. The original act, he re- day. Of those teachers, a mere 7 1/2 are at to $80,000). minded the Board of Education and au- the first step of the pay scale, another 5 II (Please turn to page A-10) Revisions to the Quality Education Act could eventually lead to property tax relief significant enough to allow for no municipal tax increase this year, said Mayor Richard Bagger. Bagger said that the changes to the school financing law revised by the State Legislature last week could result in $900,000 in state aid being given to the town. SPANning the needs of handicapped students "If all goes as it appears and that money comes to the town as I expect it will, it By Carol Ferrari "Most roots of discrimination come mentary School. will more than make up for the $530,000 (in revenues that the state took from the Contributing writer from thinking that people should be Her teacher, Angola Johnson, sup- town)," the mayor said. treated differently, but separate is not ported the idea. When Katie joined the The result, Bagger said, could be no tax increase. Katie Cuthbertson was born with eye equal," Cuthbertson said, adding that group, her sighted classmates put them- That would be good news to Westfield taxpayers. The average homeowner faced cancer and was totally blinded by the children with handicaps "don't go from a selves on a rotating schedule as her $95 increase in municipal taxes this year. resulting neurological damage soon after- special school to a special life." guides to and from the school building. In ward. "The revenue side (of the budget) has been something of a roller coaster," Bagger Katie, now 10. has been welcomed into return, the class receive Braille lessons. said. "Initially, we thought we'd be looking at a four percent property tax increase. Ten years later, with the help of a her second grade school at McKinley Ele- (Please turn to page A-10) After losing the $530,000, it looked as if there would be an increase of nine percent knowledgeable parent and support from Now I do believe we'll be able to apply the aid directly to the tax rate, and that will a responsive school system, she is attend- have the affect of a zero municipal tax increase." ing second urade at McKinley Elemen- The mayor said that the amount of the property tax relief still needs to be tary School She's one of five children confirmed by Trenton. He did speculate, however, that the 1991 Municipal Budget with a serious handicap to participate in could be amended at or after its public hearing next Tuesday, to include the a regular Westfield classroom. additional revenues. The knowledgeable parent is her "Most of the money they're giving us, though, is money that they initially took away mother, Diana Cuthbertson, who is exec- from us," Bagger said. utive director of a Statewide Parent Ad- As of now, the municipal budget totals roughly $19.1 million, up $1.2 million over vocacy Network (SPAN) which is based last year.