Ridgewood school board approves budget

May 1, 2014    Last updated: Thursday, May 1, 2014, 4:20 PM
By Laura Herzog
Staff Writer

The Ridgewood Board of Education (BOE) unanimously approved the 2014-2015 school budget on Monday, but not without caution.

Even as they approved the budget, which includes a 1.908 percent increase in school taxes, several board members raised concerns about future challenges. These cautionary messages included, most of all, an emphasis on growing education costs, some associated with special education and unfunded state mandates.

The total budget is $99,405,376, with a tax levy of $86,223,037. The owner of an average village home, assessed at $688,358, will see a school tax increase of $172.08.

BOE Vice President Vince Loncto led his comments by heaping praise on the district for several measures undertaken to improve educational quality and save on costs, including outsourced contracts and energy efficiency initiatives. But he concluded with an air of gravity, noting that “we’ll need to find ways to offset our growing expenses.”

Sharing Loncto’s concern, trustee Jim Morgan criticized the board for its budget-making process – and suggested it could do more to reduce the tax burden from the school budget, while maintaining services.

“The budget accomplishes many admirable things,” Morgan said, pointing to capital improvements, like upcoming renovations to the high school library, and a more robust push for technology in schools. But the trustee said the budget was crafted with a “status quo approach” without “critical analysis,” especially considering that a new teachers’ contact will need to be negotiated.

– See more at: https://www.northjersey.com/news/education/ridgewood-school-board-approves-budget-1.1007158#sthash.SHqepVLh.dpuf

RBSA Email :This was widely distributed on or shortly before April 15, 2014.

Subject: Albano For Council!

Ladies & Gents of the RBSA and Friends,

As you know, Jim is running for Village Council. While he is not just the “sports candidate”, the issue of the badly needed 90′ field, along with an all purpose field (read: soccer & lax) at Schedler is certainly a timely issue here.

(In case anyone is wondering, like the other two candidates, Jim is opposed to the three high density housing projects before the Planning Board. He realizes however, that the vacant lots of long gone businesses neither benefit nor beautify the Village and is seeking sensible development, that enhances, rather than detracts from our quality of life.

Similarly, he feels the current Valley Hospital expansion proposal, like the one before it, is far too intrusive to the neighborhood and our community as a whole. He recognizes the need for a hospital to stay current and calls on Valley to withdraw the current plan and make more of a good faith effort to work with the community to find a plan that works for all.

If you have any specific questions you’d like Jim to address, he is always available.)

The key to winning is always getting your supporters to the polls. With a paltry 20-22% turnout (maybe less) expected on May 13, that will be even more true in this election. We need to get the youth sports community energized and involved, spearheaded by the largest youth organization in town, the friends and families of the RBSA!

I’m asking two things: will you please take an Albano lawn sign? And, would you be willing to be part of a committee that will coordinate our get out the vote effort? This will involve networking, making lists, sending emails and maybe making a few election day phone calls. The anti-sports forces are mobilizing, so this is crucial!

Please let me know – lawn sign and/or committee? Election is 4 weeks from today, so it’s a short sprint. Time to rock & roll. Thanks for anything you can do.

Gary

Please note new email: [email protected]