Amid widespread concern from residents and district employees regarding its proposed cuts, the East Brunswick Board of Education unanimously adopted its 2010-11 budget at a recent public hearing.

School officials reviewed plans during the March 31 hearing and discussed the impacts associated with closing an $8.4 million budget deficit, before adopting the final budget that will go before voters April 20.

Following news of a $6.6 million loss of state aid for 2010-11, the board approved a tentative operating budget of $129 million with a tax levy increase of 3 percent. The tax rate would increase by 1.8 cents per $100 of assessed value, or $237 for the owner of a property assessed at $150,000.

No changes were made to the tentative budget before the March 31 adoption.

The tax increase only provides a minor contribution to filling the budget gap, and the board will implement substantial cuts to staff and services to balance the budget.

The administrative and supervising staff will be reduced by 10.6 percent, including four elementary school assistant principals and the assistant director of human resources, among other positions; support staff by 8.9 percent, including 3.5 custodians, 31 aides, 11 full-time secretaries and other positions; student services by 6.7 percent, including two guidance positions, two psychologists, two social workers and one speech language specialist; and teachers by 4.2 percent, including the elimination of 25 full-time teaching positions and six parttime positions.

The staff reductions include the loss of 23 kindergarten aides and the elimination of the elementary world language program, which became a point of contention among residents and faculty at a previous school board meeting.

At last week’s hearing, district Business Administrator Bernardo Giuliani broke down the total dollar amounts of cuts to specific areas. These reductions include $389,386 from supplies and materials, $158,900 from textbooks, $239,889 from purchased services, $61,000 from registration, training and travel, $85,316 from additional fees, $364,159 from child nutrition, and $4.4 million from salaries and benefits.

Superintendent of Schools Jo Ann Magistro also reviewed the cuts, explaining that salary and benefits account for approximately 80 percent of the budget, and therefore staff reductions are unavoidable.

“There’s no way we could absorb $8.4 million without negatively affecting the community,” she said. “Education is a people business. It does not exist without leadership, teachers and support staff. We’re making reductions in our most valuable asset.”

Magistro urged the public to vote in favor of the budget on April 20, noting that the cuts could be more severe if it does not pass.

“If the budget does not pass, staff cuts will be deeper and the impact to our education system more harmful,” she said.

Board members including Finance Committee Chairman Scott Luxenberg commented on the budget as well.

“This is simply unprecedented. As finance was getting information, we thought the worstcase scenario was 5 to 15 percent. Thirty percent was even more difficult,” he said. “I think as a committee and a board, we tried to be as fair and equitable as we could. We spread the pain around and didn’t want it to all fall on one group. This was the best we can do in very difficult times.”

Board member Meredith Shaw urged residents and staff to contact state legislators and express their opposition to the state aid reductions. She said the board is still awaiting tools from the state that would help make the district run more effectively on fewer funds.

Board member Vicki Becker agreed, and said the governor should have found other ways to cut the state budget.

“I don’t know when public education became the enemy in this state … I feel so helpless, but we have the obligation to let them know that public education is not the enemy and this is not the solution,” Becker said. “We have to let them know so we don’t have to go through this again. It’s intolerable, unfair, and it’s their responsibility to find other ways.”

Board member Michael Hughes also spoke up, and responded to comments made by residents and staff members at previous meetings. Remarks about the school board’s lack of familiarity with school operations are unfounded, he said, as well as sentiments that the faculty “is just another line item on the budget.”

He also said that several faculty members directed the school board to “find the money,” and he noted that money would become available if teachers settled their contracts without taking a salary increase next year.

“If there were no raises, then we’d be able to save positions,” Hughes said. “But our hands are tied. We can’t freeze salaries unilaterally. You asked us to find the money, and we did, but the ball is in your court. Eighty positions have been eliminated, programs have decreased, yet we’re still budgeting money for raises. I don’t know how you can do that in good conscience.”

Following the board’s remarks, members of the public expressed their thoughts, with many discussing the impacts of the cuts on the staff and community, and the state education system as a whole.

“We need to ask ourselves where we are willing to draw the line. Education has been under assault for years,” said Joe Schwartz, a math teacher at Murray A. Chittick Elementary School. “We can’t keep up the pretense that everything’s OK. We’re facing a time of change in public education. We have to respond to the consequences very seriously, and look at what we have already lost, what we can lose and what losses are to come.”

Other speakers focused on costs that could be saved by reducing the top school administration, or reducing their salaries.

“I’ve heard a lot of propaganda, and you’re not concerned about the real budget, you’re concerned with your own hide,” said resident John Minella. “A halfmillion dollars in salary are up on stage now. You should take some pay cuts. Let’s start being responsible. Let’s start being true leaders.”

Resident Jim Johnson agreed, and suggested that two assistant superintendent positions be cut instead of four assistant principal positions.

However, board President Todd Simmens noted that board members are unpaid volunteers, and the administration accepted a salary freeze for 2009-10. He also mentioned that the state directed East Brunswick to cut specific areas deemed inefficient.

The final 2010-11 budget was approved following the public hearing, with Hughes being the only member of the board to vote against it.