By Steve Mayer
Each year we work hard to make sure the annual school budget accomplishes three goals:
1. Provide the type of educational programs expected in our community
2. Maintain conservative and efficient fiscal practices
3. Leverage a multi-year approach so that needs of future students and residents are considered
At a time when enrollment continues to rise, we are grateful to have a solid facility plan in place, one in which all three district schools have adequate space to house the students they serve and classrooms that meet modern standards. We are proud of our facilities and delighted they serve as community centers in our town. Thanks to voter support and the comprehensive vision of a proactive Board of Education, our schools are prepared to serve Robbinsville’s students into the foreseeable future. Too often school districts abandon sound facility maintenance plans as budgets get tight; I am pleased that our community understands the importance of good stewardship in this area.
Each year, we work diligently to minimize the impact of the school budget on local taxes. We all know that even with capped budgets (increase to the local tax levy is capped at 2 percent by state statute) any increase worsens our tax burden. For this reason our leadership team is working closely with the Board of Education to keep this year’s tax increase as close to zero as possible. To accomplish this, we are striving to generate other sources of revenue, working to relieve the debt service burden and keeping increases for fixed costs, such as transportation and health benefits, to a minimum. By leveraging creativity and fiscal restraint we can keep cost increases to a minimum while we continue to provide appropriate programs for our kids.
The 2015-2016 budget maintains the level of high quality programming students and families in Robbinsville have come to expect. Next year, we will expand Spanish instruction to include students in grade six. Rather than increasing staff, we will accomplish this through schedule adjustments and a slight modification of the existing program. We are mindful that our K-8 class sizes are creeping close to—or slightly higher than—those recommended by Board policy, yet are unable to provide relief at this time. Similarly, class sizes at the high school are increasing to unsustainable levels, but we will provide some relief through a collaborative relationship with Mercer County Community College. This relationship will allow high school students to take advantage of elective courses in communications and criminal justice.
Last month, we launched KindeRville, a tuition-based, full-day Kindergarten program for non-resident students. With construction at the Sharon School campus complete, the on-site five classroom modular building became available to us to rent or purchase at a discounted rate. We believe that offering a kindergarten program to non-residents is a low-risk venture that will help neighboring districts whose schools only offer a half-day program. It will also create an additional revenue stream for use in Robbinsville. Dollars acquired through the program will be earmarked to fund technology initiatives or other programmatic necessities without continuing to increase taxes for residents.
Developing the annual budget is a process we take very seriously. The ways in which we spend money says a lot about our core beliefs and values as a school district. Each year we work to develop a spending plan that offers appropriate programs for students while always looking ahead to the future. As budgets become tighter and tighter, smart fiscal practices and long term, strategic thinking will ensure Robbinsville Schools a successful place in our community’s future.
Steve Mayer is superintendent of Robbinsville schools.
