Group raising awareness of BOE election
Parents in group urge residents to vote 'yes' on budget
BY KATHY CHANG Staff Writer
About 500 parents have come together to stress how important it is for the community as a whole to come out on April 21 to vote for the proposed $184.5 million Woodbridge Township school budget.

"However, with approximately 14,000 students in the school district, there are so many families out there that it is hard to get the word out," said Kellie Cuzzola. "Parents and the community need to really pay attention, because a lot is at stake."

Cuzzola, Jacki Cheslow and Jacqueline Himmel, all of Colonia, have been at the forefront on raising awareness on the needs of the public school system over the years. They sat down with the Sentinel April 7 to discuss the importance of passing the budget.

The three, who have children in the high schools, said the school administration, despite tough economic conditions and overcoming obstacles that have come their way, has done a tremendous job of putting together a classroom-centric budget. However, the three said, there have been many misconceptions floating around.

The misconceptions include the comparisons of tax increases between the school district in Woodbridge and the school districts in East Brunswick and Old Bridge.

"The reason why towns like East Brunswick and Old Bridge have a tax increase that is less than Woodbridge is because we receive less state aid than the other townships," said Himmel.

For the proposed 2009-10 budget, the school tax in Woodbridge will rise 20 cents, from $4.47 to $4.67, for each $100 of assessed valuation. The average home is assessed at $75,000. The school district re- ceived an additional $1,259,148 in state aid, which is less than 1 percent of the total budget.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. John Crowe has said at the many public hearings on the proposed budget held over the past two weeks that the state aid this year is a 5 percent increase over the 2008-09 state aid amount, not 5 percent of the overall budget.

Cuzzola added that what also affected the school tax increase in Woodbridge was the decrease of $20 million in ratables for the 2008-09 budget and $17 million in ratables this year.

"It's a huge loss, and unfortunately the state has never explained to us why they only give us minimal funds while other townships get more funds," she said. "It does not make sense, and we are frustrated."

Cuzzola said another difference is that parents in East Brunswick and Old Bridge pay for some of the extracurricular activities offered to students.

The three mothers said it is important for parents to understand what happens when the school budget is voted down. The school district has had a history of failed budgets for approximately 30 years. In 2003 the voters passed the budget, ending a 10-year losing streak; however, the budget was defeated in 2006 and last year.

"The impact of a failed budget is on the children," said Cheslow. "The fixed costs are set numbers, and the only places to cut are what programs are offered to the children."

Cuzzola added that property values are also impacted by a failed budget.

"The community is judged by its public schools," she said. "People moving into the district look at the schools, and if they see that there is a lack of funds that is going into the schools, they will look outside of the district."

The three said failed budgets also impact capital improvement projects.

"Facades on schools are crumbling, parking lots have huge potholes, which is a major safety issue for the children," said Cuzzola. "The savings for a failed budget is very minimal, and it sets the school district behind others."

Cuzzola said that over the years, she has seen what failed budgets have done to Claremont Avenue Elementary School No. 20 in Colonia.

"When my child was at the school [now a sophomore in college], there was an art room, a computer room and a music room, and class size was 16 students," she said. "In a five-year span, art classes were on a cart and there was no more music room. Class sizes went to 30 students to a class."

The superintendent of schools said everything would be on the table this year if the school budget fails, from school sports, arts in the high school, and family science to proposed technology upgrades at the schools.

Cheslow said it is fortunate that the school district found the funds (through open space purchases in June 2008) to implement wireless installations at Colonia High School, John F. Kennedy Memorial High School, and the five middle schools.

"Our school district is way behind in technology," she said.

The three said that while the school district, with all its limitations of state aid funds, has accomplished many things over the years, they said resources need to be used more efficiently.

"There needs to be creative thinking, strengths need to be utilized," said Himmel. "We have to realize in these hard economic times that our children only get one chance to go to high school or go to first grade, etc.; they can't go back, and that is paramount for us."

Cheslow said items that need to be looked at are cafeteria services, which are running with a $1.2 million deficit each year.

"This is a deficit that has existed for years and violated state code despite recommendations made by state auditors," she said. "These cafeteria services should be self-sufficient, while the money used toward cafeteria services could go more into the teaching staff and the classrooms."

School board elections will be held April 21.