MONTVALE—The Pascack Valley Regional High School District board introduced a tentative $65.3 million budget for 2022-2023 at a special meeting March 21.
The amount us up 1.59% over last year. The vote was required before the budget is submitted to the county superintendent for review.
The budget was introduced by a 7-0 vote at a special nine-minute meeting. Trustees Kelly Blundy and Debra Stephans were absent.
Board business administrator and secretary Yas Usami provided a brief breakdown of changes from last year, including a $331,525 jump in additional state aid. The brief budget breakdown shows a general fund of $62,461,993, a special revenue fund of $845,241, and debt service of $2,031,275 for a total of $65,338,509.
The amount to be raised by taxation is $54,431,192, which includes the general fund and debt service.
The budget includes a capital reserve withdrawal of $4,562,600 for capital projects, officials said.
A final budget will be introduced at the April 25 meeting, where tax impacts on the average homeowner from each of the district’s four sending towns will be available.
(The K-12 Westwood Regional School District passed a $70.5 million 2022-2023 budget on March 23. For more information, see our report on page 1 of the March 28 issue.)
Board President Joseph Blundo said trustees would receive a final budget from Usami well before the April 25 presentation.
According to district spokesman Paul Zeller, among its work the preliminary budget will fund:
- Two additional special education teachers to alleviate the need for teachers to teach 6th period assignments.
- An additional guidance counselor at Pascack Hills. Currently each counselor at Pascack Hills services more than 200 students; the additional counselor will reduce that number to 165 students, which is in line with the number of students each counselor is assigned at Pascack Valley.
- An additional media specialist. Today only one media specialist services both schools.
- A family and consumer science teacher at Pascack Valley who was not replaced after a retirement. “The replacement did not occur earlier as our childhood development program with preschool students did not operate because of the pandemic. This is a program the district would like to bring back for the coming school year as it is important for the students and community.”
- An assistant principal position at Pascack Hills. The prior AP, who also served as the athletic director, retired at the end of the 2020-2021 school year. Zeller said The AD position was filled; however, the hire did not assume the role of AP, as the AD has taken the role of supervisor of physical education and Health. He said, “These responsibilities were transferred to the athletic director, inline with the structure at Pascack Valley. Supervision of PE and health was previously the responsibility of the supervisor of social studies, who has the responsibility of supervising the growing internship program.”
- The transition of the special services program coordinator to supervisor of special services. “The former supervisor became the director of special services, leaving the position of supervisor open. The program coordinator position being vacated will not be filled.”
In addition, said Zeller, the preliminary budget supports:
- Projected 8% health insurance increase in January 2023. “While health insurance rates are established sometime in August and implemented in January on a calendar year basis, as opposed to our fiscal year July 1–June 30, this projection was provided by our health insurance consultant.”
- Anticipated larger cost increases in student transportation as some transporters have noted they will not renew at the established CPI of 1.91%.
From Capital Reserve, which does not affect the tax levy, the preliminary budget includes a withdrawal of $4,562,600 to support:
- Auditorium renovations at both schools;
- Roof replacement at Hills;
- Set of toilet room renovations at both schools;
- HVAC-Airedale replacements at Pascack Hills; and
- Window replacement at Pascack Valley.