Holmdel BOE budget up $2.1M Spending plan calls for 4-cent increase over last year BY ERIN O. STATTEL Staff Writer HOLMDEL- The Board of Education has approved a $50,051,557 budget for 2008-09, an increase of $2.1 million over last year's budget. The board approved the budget at the March 12 meeting. There will be a public hearing on the budget March 26 at 8 p.m. in the library at the Satz School. The proposed tax levy to support the budget is $45,845,732, a 3.3 percent increase over last year. Business Administrator Michael Petrizzo said administrators worked from a zero-base budget to formulate the spending plan. Factors that impact the proposed budget increase are salaries, which are $33,139,239, up $1,719,056 over the 2007- 08 budget; and benefits, which total $7,095,191, up $222,480 over last year. If approved, the 2008-09 school district budget would mean an increase of 4 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, compared with last year's 3.9-cent increase. For the owner of an average home assessed at $736,568, the budget, if approved by voters, would mean an increase in taxes of $298.31 per year, or $24.86 per month. The school district budget has been approved by voters in each of the four prior years. At the board meeting, questions came from the audience on a range of issues, such as the possibility of charging outside organizations for use of the school buildings during the summer. Residents also questioned where administrators chose to make cuts in order to trim the budget even further after the district was denied its application for waivers regarding the 4 percent mandatory cap. "Within the Department of Education's guidelines on making a budget, we can apply for waivers that would allow us to expand for things we are eligible for," Petrizzo said in an interview last week. "Unfortunately, we were denied 100 percent of the waivers we applied for." Board of Education candidate Michael Collins asked where the cuts were made to the budget after the district was denied the waivers. "The extras that we put in, hoping to receive the waivers, came out as quickly as they went in," Petrizzo explained. Petrizzo said that cuts included new textbooks, field trips and building maintenance. Dr. Jim Shelton, also a candidate for a board seat, asked whether the board members felt they had met their goals. "I think we have," Superintendent Barbara Duncan replied. "Yes, we were able to meet our goals." This year's goals, as stated in the budget presentation, include creating a position for a gifted and talented/literacy coach to serve at the Village and Indian Hill schools; creating a Music Honor Society adviser position at the high school; creating a National Junior Honor Society at the Satz School; adding a boys lacrosse team; and providing resources for staff development. Petrizzo added that one of the goals for this budget season was to avoid teacher layoffs, so the district could maintain the staff-to-student ratio. Petrizzo also said the ratio was not a specific number and fluctuates from school to school. "That was the subject of last year's separate question," Petrizzo said. "We wanted to hire additional teachers to accommodate the growing class size, and it was voted down." The base starting salary for a teacher with no experience was $45,510 for the 2007-08 school year. Salaries range according to experience and work level. The Holmdel School District consists of four schools with an enrollment of 3,417 pupils. Residents will vote on the budget on Tuesday, April 15, when polls will be open from 2 to 9 p.m.