| Author |
Message |
    
TomR
Citizen
Username: Tomr
Post Number: 92
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 5, 2004 - 2:03 pm: |     |
Dr. Horoschak's Point of View letter in the News Record reports that a detailed version of the budget proposal is available at the school district's web site, www.somsd.k12.nj.us/finance/financehome.htm.
All I find at that site is the Budget 101 workshop information.
If somebody knows the correct address for the budget proposal, I'd appreciate it. If I somehow missed the link on the page address given, sorry in advance.
TomR. |
jfburch
Citizen
Username: Jfburch
Post Number: 1280
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 5, 2004 - 2:09 pm: | |
At the BOE meeting Monday night they said that budget and some supporting documents would be up at the Budget 101 site by late Wednesday night.
I don't see the new stuff either and am assuming it's a little late. I'd check back in a while. |
Dave
Citizen
Username: Dave
Post Number: 6315
Registered: 4-1998
| | Posted on Thursday, February 5, 2004 - 2:18 pm: | |
If the BoE/Administration wants an area on MOL to post documents, all they need to do is ask. |
jfburch
Citizen
Username: Jfburch
Post Number: 1285
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Friday, February 6, 2004 - 2:23 pm: | |
Revised posting date for budget and supporting data announced last night at the budget workshop is Saturday noon. |
johnny
Citizen
Username: Johnny
Post Number: 817
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, February 6, 2004 - 2:25 pm: | |
As far as I can tell, there is nothing posted yet concerning the budget proposal.
Just read jfburch's post.... Why continue to promise things when you can't deliver? |
ladyrunner
Citizen
Username: Ladyrunner
Post Number: 15
Registered: 9-2003
| | Posted on Friday, February 6, 2004 - 4:19 pm: | |
Did anyone else hear about the memo sent to principals yesterday morning? Dr. H told principals they had to attend the BOE meeting last night. Then when they came he said publicly they were there to support the budget.
I know several that don't support it. They were there because they were told to be. This superintendent is so deceitful and manipulative it is shocking.
Taking supervisor support from the grade 6 teachers when they are about to delevel the classes. He promised the teachers they would have supervisor support.
Telling the BOE that the grade 6 teachers have had plenty of training "all along" for deleveling, when they will need support once it really happens.
Ordering principals to attend the BOE/BOSE meeting then acting like they came to show support for the budget.
You say incompetent, I say unethical. But we agree he is bad news. |
TomR
Citizen
Username: Tomr
Post Number: 98
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Saturday, February 7, 2004 - 1:02 am: | |
Does anybody have a copy of the memo to which ladyrunner referred.
I'm curious to read the text.
TomR. |
Reflective
Citizen
Username: Reflective
Post Number: 297
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, February 8, 2004 - 9:58 pm: | |
Super H continues to spin and dance.
Isn't it time for us to put a stop this same old record? |
bobk
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 4586
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, February 9, 2004 - 8:26 am: | |
Yeah, but to make the proposal he made and in the form he made it he has got to be pretty sure he has the votes on the BOSE to get it through. Nobody ever accused him of being stupid.
How will SO go on this? In the past they seem to have relied on their Pilots to keep taxes in line. However, last year the average savings from the Pilot on Gaslight Commons was less than $100 per postings in the SO section of the board. |
doublea
Citizen
Username: Doublea
Post Number: 439
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Monday, February 9, 2004 - 8:37 am: | |
My concern, and several others who post, is that SO, with PILOT revenues going 100% to ease the municipal tax burden, will not have to make the tough choices it would have had to make had there not been a pilot. And then, having the help of the PILOTs on the municipal side, will be hard-pressed not to approve what is requested on the school side. |
johnny
Citizen
Username: Johnny
Post Number: 818
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, February 9, 2004 - 9:01 am: | |
South Orange reps on the BOSE have, in recent history, backed up the special question issues 100%. That is why all it took was Mr. Huemer's stamp of approval last year to pass on whatever they wanted. |
Nohero
Citizen
Username: Nohero
Post Number: 2842
Registered: 10-1999
| | Posted on Monday, February 9, 2004 - 9:17 am: | |
As of the date and time of this post, this is what is stated on the BOE's budget page at
http://www.somsd.k12.nj.us/finance/0405budgetlinks.htm:
quote:Annotated Line-Item Budget (to be posted soon)
Comparative Line-Item Budget (to be posted soon)
Do these not exist, or is there some other reason why they are not available for general discussion purposes? |
johnny
Citizen
Username: Johnny
Post Number: 819
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, February 9, 2004 - 9:26 am: | |
Checked out the 2004-2005 Budget Summary.
A couple of quick points:
It would be nice to have the current year's budget online for comparison.
JUST the health benefits for the staff make up 10% of the ENTIRE school system budget (as proposed). Our teachers pay exactly $0 per month for healthcare.
Total enrollment is projected to go up by 0.33% but total expenditures are projected to go up by 9%.
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johnny
Citizen
Username: Johnny
Post Number: 820
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, February 9, 2004 - 11:02 am: | |
From the SOMSD website:
We currently have 37 copiers in the school district which cost $335,000 per year for equipment, maintenance, and copier supplies (not including paper). That is an average of $9,054 per copier.
We spend less on Telecommunications per year ($255,000) than we do on maintaining our fleet of 37 copiers.
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mellie
Citizen
Username: Mellie
Post Number: 385
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Monday, February 9, 2004 - 12:19 pm: | |
prima facie, there are some savings to be had...just by looking
nice one Johnny |
mellie
Citizen
Username: Mellie
Post Number: 386
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Monday, February 9, 2004 - 12:25 pm: | |
prima facie, there are some savings to be had...just by looking
nice one Johnny |
sac
Citizen
Username: Sac
Post Number: 941
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, February 9, 2004 - 10:44 pm: | |
Someone posted on another thread that the healthcare policy that the teachers have is through an organization (the union, perhaps?) that allows it to be relatively modestly priced, but with that comes a restriction preventing the teachers from being required to pay a portion of the cost. It was postulated that if we switched to a different plan which would allow cost sharing with the teachers, the school district (tax-funded) share might still be more than is currently the case.
I can't verify that is true, but if so, it would be silly to switch gears on that one.
At any rate, we should know the whole story before criticizing the allocation of funds for health insurance. |
jfburch
Citizen
Username: Jfburch
Post Number: 1291
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Monday, February 9, 2004 - 11:06 pm: | |
If I understand correctly, the restriction (from the NJ state plan) about employees not paying a portion of their premiums does not apply in the same way (though there are some restrictions) to covered dependents so there might be some options there. There were some questions about this at the budget workshop.
The Budget Brief on Health Care has a bit more on the specifics.
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bobk
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 4601
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2004 - 4:26 am: | |
This was an issue during the contract negotiations last year. I believe this is covered in the new contract.
My wife works for another municipality here and her health coverage is free. The plan is virtually identical to the one my employeer provides and which costs me around $3,000 per year. |
Nohero
Citizen
Username: Nohero
Post Number: 2845
Registered: 10-1999
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2004 - 7:41 am: | |
As of the date and time of this post, this is what is stated on the BOE's budget page at
http://www.somsd.k12.nj.us/finance/0405budgetlinks.htm:
quote:Annotated Line-Item Budget (to be posted soon)
Comparative Line-Item Budget (to be posted soon)
Yes, I posted the same thing yesterday. Even if there were unavoidable delays in updating the BOE website, the roughly 8 page summary which was available to some people last week appears to be an Excel file, so anybody with an electronic version could upload it to MOL. |
johnny
Citizen
Username: Johnny
Post Number: 821
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2004 - 9:05 am: | |
The Healthcare Summary on the SOMSD website outlines the issue.
The District participates in the NJ State Health Benefits Program, which does not allow the district to share the cost of the premiums with the employees.
In the report the District admits that other school districts have realized cost savings by switching to other healthcare programs.
Here is a quote I don't quite understand:
"Twice in recent years the district determined that other alternatives could provide the same level of service in a more cost-effective manner. In both instances, the district found it more beneficial to return to the SHBP."
Of course, they do not explain why it was more beneficial to return.
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Dad23
Citizen
Username: Dad23
Post Number: 46
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2004 - 12:09 pm: | |
"Annotated Line-Item Budget (to be posted soon)
Comparative Line-Item Budget (to be posted soon)"
Sounds like somebody had some errors to correct or info to bury. |
TomR
Citizen
Username: Tomr
Post Number: 129
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Monday, February 16, 2004 - 1:00 pm: | |
The Annotated Line-Item Budget for the BOE's Budget Proposal has been posted at:
http://www.somsd.k12.nj.us/finance/0405budgetlinks.htm:
TomR. |
johnny
Citizen
Username: Johnny
Post Number: 830
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, February 16, 2004 - 11:07 pm: | |
Still no comparative line-item budget available on the SOMSD website. What a shocker! It's pretty hard to analyze a budget out of thin air. How about something to compare it to????!!!
It may not be so, but I think someone is dragging their feet on purpose. |
Montagnard
Citizen
Username: Montagnard
Post Number: 429
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2004 - 12:47 am: | |
First item under the microscope should be Special Education.
Is there really a need to spend $2.9 million for 44+ Resource Room Teachers?
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mellie
Citizen
Username: Mellie
Post Number: 391
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2004 - 8:44 am: | |
budget is $75m
budget is up 9%
costs are therefore up about $8m over 2003
benefits (per the ppt) are $10m = $1m of the increase
salaries are 75% of $69m = c$50m; pay rise was 4% = $2m (but I thought we had the big pay rise last year so we were done for a while
that leaves $5m not explained
insights anyone ? |
cody
Citizen
Username: Cody
Post Number: 476
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2004 - 9:07 am: | |
One of the reasons the copier expenditure is so high is that quite a lot of our curriculum requires that the teachers supply worksheets to give to the students. Think about how many elementary school kids are getting "math homelinks" for homework each night, all of which are copied and sent home. All of the homework sheets have to be copied and sent home. The copiers at most of the schools are in use all day long, and well before school and after school. This isn't personal stuff the staff is copying, but materials for the students.
Our curriculum doesn't seem to include a lot of workbooks for the students to write in, although some of the math classes do have "journals".
In the Special Ed. area, where a class typically has students covering a two or three grade range, the staff is constantly scrambling to come up with materials that are age-appropriate and which meet the curriculum goals. Not much is supplied by the District for these classes; in fact, the annual budget allowance for them is the same as for classes encompassing one grade, so teachers typically can only afford to get one copy of a book at each grade level and then copy the information for the subset of kids in the room who are at that grade level. Sharing across classrooms would be nice, but these classes are spread out among various schools and most of the teachers are covering the same material in the same time frames, so it just isn't feasible to share one set of books across two or three classes located in different school buildings.
And as for Resource Room salaries, remember that the federal government mandates quite a few programs and services for classified students and the Districts have to supply them. Additional funding is also promised, but rarely delivered. And then you have legislation like "No Child Left Behind" which mandates that ALL students be achieving at chronological grade level, and progressing from that point forward. So the Resource Room teachers are critical to the support of classified students in the regular ed. classrooms. They typically do not work with the classified students in self-contained Special Ed. placements.
Just consider what the money being spent on maintaining our military presence and action in Iraq could do if it were applied to improving the education system throughout the U.S. |
Montagnard
Citizen
Username: Montagnard
Post Number: 431
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2004 - 10:37 am: | |
From what I've observed at MMS, the Resource Room on the lower floor never had more than one or two people in it. This can't be a very efficient way to deliver the service. |
cody
Citizen
Username: Cody
Post Number: 477
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2004 - 11:22 am: | |
In some of the schools, the "Resource Room" teachers work in the regular ed. classrooms assisting the classroom teacher in modifying the curriculum/supporting the special needs students in the mainstream environment.
Just because you only saw a few people in the room doesn't mean that only a few children were being worked with at that time.
I am not that familiar with the middle-school set up, but that is definitely the case at the elementary schools. |
TomR
Citizen
Username: Tomr
Post Number: 136
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2004 - 5:59 pm: | |
cody,
Can you provide information on the makes and models of copiers used at your school facility?
Thanks,
TomR. |
cody
Citizen
Username: Cody
Post Number: 480
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2004 - 6:49 pm: | |
Not offhand - one is a Risograph, used for large numbers of copies of the same master. I don't recall the brand of the other two - they register as generic copiers, sorry. I will check the make and model once school reopens next week. I am not sure if every school has the same models/brands.
I would think it would be more economical to go that route, but I can't speak for the entire district. |
mellie
Citizen
Username: Mellie
Post Number: 392
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 18, 2004 - 9:20 pm: | |
anyone care to address the $9m increase vs the $250k on copiers ie get to the big issues ? |
Nohero
Citizen
Username: Nohero
Post Number: 2893
Registered: 10-1999
| | Posted on Thursday, February 19, 2004 - 9:32 am: | |
As of the date and time of this post, this is what is stated on the BOE's budget page at
http://www.somsd.k12.nj.us/finance/0405budgetlinks.htm:
quote:Comparative Line-Item Budget (to be posted soon)
The annotated new budget (such as it is) was made available online this past weekend, but the comparison with the budget approved last year is still not available.
I'm not a budget expert, but doesn't that make it hard to have an intelligent conversation about what's causing the proposed increase? Sure, we know about some things, but the public can't see the whole picture at this time. At minimum, this comparative information would be needed to, first, explain which areas have new costs, second, explain which areas have increased costs (and why), and third, provide a basis for any discussion about reductions which may be needed.
The delay does not help those of us who want to support the District's efforts to maintain and improve the quality of education here. The less detail which is given, and the more "last minute" the process becomes, the more it helps the people who demand that the budget be slashed. |
johnny
Citizen
Username: Johnny
Post Number: 831
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, February 19, 2004 - 10:02 am: | |
The following is one of the goals listed on the SOMSD website for the 2004-2005 budget process:
"Achieve a common understanding between the community, the board and the administration regarding the administration's budget recommendation and the rationale supporting it."
It's kind of hard to do this when you keep vital information from the public. Where is the Comparative Line-Item budget??????? The data already exists. How hard is it to post?
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Reflective
Citizen
Username: Reflective
Post Number: 315
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, February 19, 2004 - 10:07 am: | |
Nohero is correct!
The detail will likely be released on 3/1, and during March only will wind its way thru county approval and BOSE approval.
30 days for us and the BOSE to review, digest, ask questions about, and understand the school budget (not to mention discussing cost saving alternatives) is another slap in the face of taxpayers, the BOSE and other stakeholders, by the Super and the Board.
Up to five years ago, this budget was available in early january and we had three months of review and input.
If there are not three new board members more responsive to open budgets, I am certain future school registration will include residents allowing for direct debits to their checking accounts.
There is in effect no school budget process worth anything in our district. |
Dad23
Citizen
Username: Dad23
Post Number: 50
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Friday, February 20, 2004 - 9:02 am: | |
And that is just how the super likes it.
You would think 3 asst supts and 2 business administrators could get the work done on time. Maybe those big bonuses slowed them down.
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mellie
Citizen
Username: Mellie
Post Number: 395
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, February 21, 2004 - 10:54 am: | |
Who does what in the budget process ?
Is it something like
School admin proposes budget
BSE approve it
School Board approves it
Township includes it in taxes
Taxpayer is stuck with it.
Is there an executive compensation committee who determines the adminstrators comp and bonuses and assesses their performance before paying them - or witholding - their bonus. If not, why not ? |
Reflective
Citizen
Username: Reflective
Post Number: 316
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, February 21, 2004 - 12:41 pm: | |
Mellie:
You got it.
The exec comp committee is our school board who sees our wallets as their never-ending funding source. (And if we don't like it, well, we can just leave - to be replaced, in their minds, with newbies having even fatter wallets).
Re your comments on the CBAC, you should join the School group. You may be pleasantly surprised. |
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