Office of the Superintendent
566 Old Forks Road
PO Box 631
Hammonton, NJ 08037-0631
FROM: Mary Lou DeFrancisco, Superintendent
RE: Defeated Budget Cuts
DATE: June 1, 2006
My recommended cuts are painful but they do not cut education or programs in the classroom.
The areas I recommend as cuts do have a significant impact to our district, students and community. However, I cannot when considering that we are a District in Need of Improvement recommend a cut that would increase class sizes, take counselors, Child Study Team members, or direct student services away. Our first responsibility must be to a student�s classroom education and immediate services to them. I do believe athletics, music, chorus, band, honor society, proms, clubs, and extra-curricular activities of all types are a part of the total educational experience but I cannot say let�s choose any of these over education in the classroom. I realize that there is a need for extra curricular learning experiences but unfortunately we cannot provide it all with the money allotted. The fact that I am forced to recommend any cuts saddens me.
The cuts that I recommend are prioritized from first to last. Any amounts restored by the state are recommended to restore items listed last in position (as possible) first.
Cuts are as follows:
1. No courtesy bussing $ 236,000.00
Request the town to add crossing guards
2. Two school busses 170,000.00
3. Clerk Typist (3 PT; 1 FT) [1 per office/school] 55,897.00
4. Benefits 12,227.00
5. Three new teaching positions and benefits
(1= grade 3; 2 = HS; 1 = Math, 1 = English 187,500.00
6. No after school extracurricular activities 211,049.00
7. No after school athletics/sports programs 368,355.00
__________________
$1,241,028.00
In addition, these cuts allow school to open with a complete certified staff. They also do not impact unemployment benefits. They are not to my knowledge mandated programs. They do not put freshmen in study halls or cut AP courses or any other course selections already in place.
In relationship to extracurricular activities and athletics perhaps benefactors could offer the budgeted amounts to provide for any or all of them. The only need would be to ensure that with athletics we do not violate any Title 9 regulations regarding boys and girls athletics offerings.
It must also be noted that if cuts are made these items should then be considered when planning next years (2007-2008) budget as separate questions outside that budget.
From this point on, we will have considered every non-instructional program, position, and service. The following budget year teaching positions, increases in class sizes, and course selections would need to be considered as possible reductions.