As predicted, the West Windsor-Plainsboro school board 2005-’06 school budget passed easily by voters in both West Windsor and Plainsboro. ##M:[more]##In addition, voters in West Windsor elected Richard Kaye and Randy Tucker to two seats on the school board, rejecting Adam Shrager by a sound margin in the election on April 19. (Patricia Bocarsly, a board member from Plainsboro, was running unopposed for her reelection.)
The $136.24 million budget was approved by a total vote of 1,”664-960, winning approval in both townships, West Windsor (1,”234-632) and Plainsboro (430-328). The new budget represents a 4.6 percent increase over the 2004-’05’s $130 million budget.
Some district officials had voiced concern that Plainsboro voters, hit with a big tax increase for the second year in a row, might reject the budget for the first time in two decades. The average Plainsboro homeowner will see a 20 percent increase in school taxes (compared to West Windsor’s 2.8 percent increase) due to a combination of the township’s recent property revaluation and the state’s school tax formula based on real estate values.
The price tag for the new school year will be steep. The owner of an average house will pay $5,”609 next year in school taxes, approximately $1,”250 more than last year and nearly $1,”850 more than two years ago. In West Windsor, an average homeowner will pay $6,”154. This represents an increase of approximately $96 from last year and a decrease of about $36 over the past two years.
In West Windsor, Richard Kaye, with 1,”239 and Randy Tucker, with 1,”064 votes, were elected to their first three-year terms on the board. Kaye, a resident of Coneflower Lane in Village Grande, is a former high school principal. Tucker is a resident of Jill Drive in Princeton Junction and an engineer for Johnson & Johnson. Adam Shrager, a former stockbroker turned Hopewell Valley teacher, received 738 votes. (West Windsor incumbents Steve Smith and Linda Geevers decided not to run for reelection.)
In Plainsboro incumbent Patricia Bocarsly, a medical school professor who lives on Clydesdale Court, was reelected to her second three-year term on the board. Running unopposed, she received 577 votes.
Board Reorganizes
In addition to the Oath of Office being given to the two new board members, Richard Kaye and Randy Tucker, as well as to reelected board member Patricia Bocarsly, the board unanimously voted to retain Hemant Marathe and Patricia Bocarsly as president and vice president respectively. Says Marathe: “I am really pleased to be able to serve as president for one more year.”
Among the challenges will be passing the 2006-’07 budget in the midst of the strict limitations put on districts across the state by S-1701 law. “That law will be a challenge for all budgets, as far as the eye can see,” says Marathe.
A possible referendum to pay for capital improvements to some of the district’s older buildings will be another hurdle. “We want to create a structure to make sure these older facilities get fixed without a lot of undo burdens on the taxpayers,” he says.
As to what board members will serve on the Administration and Facilities Committee, Curriculum Committee, Finance Committee and negotiations committees, as well as liaison appointments, Marathe said that he will likely make an announcement at the board’s next meeting on Tuesday, May 10.
As some board members have been saying for months, the budget vote comes first and then a referendum for capital improvements may be next. With the 2005-’06 budget safely in the bag, the board will finally begin to deal with the extensive list of capital improvements.
Some WW-P officials have charged that during the past 10 years, the district has focused too heavily on building new buildings while failing to keep up with some of its older facilities, especially High School South.
On April 19, outgoing West Windsor board member Linda Geevers, chairperson of the administration and facilities committee, introduced a report to concerning repairs and renovations that must be addressed beyond the means of the annual budget.
Officials say that the public may have the opportunity to vote an a referendum by December of this year. Among the work needed at High School South are parking lot repairs, as well as possible additions to the music department, including the auditorium, rehearsal rooms, practice rooms, storage space, the gymnasium, athletic fields, resurfacing of tennis courts and an upgraded weight room, locker rooms, athletic trainer room. The art department at South requires a darkroom, additional storage space, and kiln replacement. (Geevers noted that areas reserved for core programs such as math, English, social studies, and science will be unaffected.).
In addition to roof repairs at Community Middle School, the sidewalks also need extensive improvements.
At Maurice Hawk, the report states that more classroom space is required for special subject areas, including classes now meeting in the trailer. Also needed are renovations to the kitchen and the replacement of worn out carpeting in some classrooms with linoleum flooring.
At Wicoff, the report states that the gymnasium floor and bleachers need attention as well as the kitchen and cafeteria.
At Dutch Neck, classroom space is needed for some special area subjects that are currently meeting in the trailer. Also on the list are possible renovations of the media center, carpet replacements, and a thorough evaluation of roof leaks and cafeteria size.
The report also points to a need for improved security district-wide. The report suggests evaluating the use of swipe key devices to secure building entrances and drop-down gates.
Upgrades in the technology infrastructure could be improved if the district carries out work for wireless internet access in the school buildings, as well as the installation of wireless generators in four buildings.
Members of the administration and facilities committee are expected to conduct extensive facilities reviews on a regular basis and to produce a five-year plan. The next step will be to discuss proposed facilities projects in greater detail and fine tune the list of projects likely to be on the referendum.
Cosse Retiring
After 14 years in the district, Jon Cosse, assistant superintendent of pupil personnel services, announced that he will be retiring effective August 31.
“My wife retired last year and she keeps kept asking when I was going to join her,” says Cosse. “We are at that stage where all our kids are grown and doing their own thing and the house is a little too big.” Cosse said that he may become an educational consultant or perhaps take a superintendency position in another state.
Cosse, came to the WW-P school district in 1992 as a director of guidance. In 1997 he was appointed director of planning and was named assistant superintendent for pupil services in 1998.
When former district superintendent John Fitzsimons resigned at the end of the 2002-’03 school year (to become superintendent of the Lawrence, New York, school district on Long Island), Cosse was briefly named acting superintendent. Following an intensive 10-month search for a new superintendent that saw the district pay out $23,”000 to a Connecticut search firm, Cosse was named acting superintendent on June 20 after three finalists — including current superintendent Robert Loretan due to personal health reasons — dropped out of the running. (Loretan later accepted the superintendent position after his personal issues were no longer a factor.)
“When John Fitzsimons left, I promised Steve Smith and the rest of the board that I would continue on for another year to help the new superintendent make the transition,” says Cosse. “Now I’ve stayed for two years because Bob is such a great guy to work with. I’ve worked in a number of districts and this one is simply the best. While no world is ever perfect, this one comes closest.”
While details concerning the search for Cosse’s replacement are still to be worked out, district public information officer Gerri Hutner says that the position will be advertised after a review by the superintendent and the board concerning possible alterations in the job. “As a district changes,” says Hutner, “sometimes you find that you need different skills and responsibilities for a position.”
Hutner Wins
WW-P public information officer Gerri Hutner was one of three new board members elected in the Lawrence district. Hutner, who has been an employee of the WW-P school district since 1999, received 1,”551 votes as voters rejected two incumbents.
Hutner, 51, has two sons in college and previously served on the Lawrence board between 1995 and 2001. She opeted not to run for re-election in 2001 following a controversy of possible conflict of interest from some WW-P board members. “I don’t think there is any conflict in Gerri serving on the board in Lawrence,” says Marathe, adding humorously, “as long as she agrees not to poach any of our employees.”
In her campaign, Hutner stressed to voters the need for smaller class sizes and that she would try to bring a feeling of trust between the school board and the public. The Lawrence board has recently been criticized by residents as being racked with divisiveness.
