Failed tab under review

BY SETH MANDEL
Staff Writer

HELMETTA — Mayor Nancy Martin and the Borough Council are reviewing the defeated 2005-06 school budget.

The borough sends its students to Spotswood schools, and related tuition costs represent much of the district’s $3.5 million budget.

Martin said officials are looking into the possibility that the Board of Education allotted tuition funding for more students than are actually being enrolled.

“We want to find out exactly where the surplus is and the [number of] students, so those are our only concerns,” Martin said.

She said the borough’s auditor will review those numbers, and she hopes to meet with members of the school board before their meeting Monday night.

“I guess that’s our major concern,” Martin said. “As far as cutting, obviously we all know we’re a sending district, so there’s not much to cut other than any cushion for extra students.”

Board of Education President Joann Carroll said that since the council has the prerogative to pass the budget as it was proposed, there may not be any cuts in the spending plan.

“Last year when it failed, we were giving back 77 cents per $100 (of assessed valuation), and the budget still failed,” Carroll said. “And it went to town council, and instead of cutting anything, they added money to the budget. So, to say what frame of mind we’re in, I don’t have a clue at this point.”

Carroll said most of the funding in the spending plan is for required positions and items that are out of the district’s control.

“I don’t know what they’ll cut; we don’t really have anything to cut,” Carroll said. “Our basic budget is tuition costs, which are set and passed along, transportation funding, special education. There’s really no fluff.”