TOWNSHIP OF WASHINGTON, N.J.—The final $65.4 million Westwood Regional School District Board of Education 2021–2022 budget presented at an April 29 public hearing shows a slight decrease in school taxes for Westwood and Washington Township homeowners.
Nearly four hours into a seven-hour meeting that ended at 2 a.m., trustees voted, 8–1, to approve the budget.
Trustee Michael Pontillo voted against approval, citing previous concerns about budget transparency and questions about capital reserves and earmarking unspent funds.
The total budgeted appropriations, including debt service and state and federal aid, were $65,419,205, with 76.5% of total operating budget allocated to salaries and benefits, according to Borough Business Administrator Keith Rosado.
The .01% decrease in overall property tax levies shows an average $466,672 Washington Township home paying $7,385 for 2021–22, a decrease of $14 annually; and an average $442,800 Westwood home paying $6,440, a decrease of $73 over last year.
Officials said there was a reduction in property tax rates per $100,000 of assessed value. Washington Township’s rate dropped to $1,620.43 from $1,623.75 while Westwood’s tax rate dropped to $1,489.31 from $1,506.39.
“The Borough of Westwood experienced a higher than normal increase in valuation stemming from rolling re-evaluations and hospital tax settlement within Westwood which have been added to the tax rolls,” Rosado said at the presentation.
Rosado said he wanted to explain why Westwood’s overall valuation had increased relative to Washington Township. He said as the hospital’s tax assessment increases, more valuation is added to the borough’s tax rolls.
The resolution approving the budget noted it includes withdrawal from capital reserve in the amount of $1,117,162, which represents expenditures associated with the construction of:
- Phase 1 of electrical upgrades assessment at Berkeley, Brookside, Jessie F. George, and Washington elementary schools, and the regional high school;
- High school media center; and
- Adding a bathroom at Berkeley school.
Roof replacement at Jessie F. George school in addition to the facilities efficiency standards determined by the state as necessary to achieve core curriculum standards.
In addition, invoices for materials received and services rendered for the 2020–2021 school year for February 2021 in the amount of $4,073,713.83 were approved for payment under the resolution.
Rosado provided a 30-minute budget overview using graphics and pie charts to depict a slew of budget analyses. He showed $36,562,905, or 58.73% of the budget went to salaries, and $11,169,550, or 17.94% of the budget, went to employee benefits.
The 2021–2022 user-friendly budget and Rosado’s presentation can be found under “School District Budgets” under the district Business Office website.
Other large budgeted appropriations include instruction support services ($10,352,303); plant operation and maintenance ($5,178,220); and administration support services ($5,044,016).
Of a total operating budget of $62,257,269, about 89%, or $55,443,247 comes from the local tax levy, another 4.36% from state aid; 3.6% from a budgeted fund balance; and other smaller fund slices of aid and capital reserves.
A detailed chart Rosado discussed noted fluctuations in state aid from 2009–2010 through 2021–2022.
He said the anticipated 2022 state aid of $2,712,661 still shows a 7.39% decrease from 2010. That year the district received $3,129,676, which was 6.53% of the budget.
At a mid-March board meeting, Rosado said the district saved approximately $1.25 million over the last school year due to fewer classroom aides and reduced hours for aides, and savings on health benefits.
Other pandemic-related reductions in costs were a one-time savings, he said.
Rosado also pointed to a chart that showed a steady decline in out-of-district placements for special education students, noting from a high of 65 placements in 2012–2013, the district was projecting 38.5 placements in 2021–2022.
He said this was a large cost savings that the district should be proud of achieving.
Trustee Frank Romano pointed out slightly more than $1.1 million was placed in the budget for programs to address students’ learning loss and emotional distress over Covid-19. These programs will start in September, and funds are allocated for personal protective equipment, shields, and Plexiglas installation.
Romano said with most utility costs and employee contracts increasing 3% annually, achieving a basically flat budget with a decrease in tax levy was an accomplishment.
Pontillo and Finance chair Andrew Gerstmayr debated whether unused funds could be earmarked for certain programs moving ahead but Rosado said fund balances would not be known until closer to the fiscal year end in June.
These leftover funds would be carried forward in reserves, Rosado said, and trustees could make decisions then about where to allocate remaining fund balances.
Speaking with Romano, Rosado said the pending budget incorporates $2.2 million in surplus funds this year, noting those funds will not be available for future years’ budgets.
Rosado said without surplus available, and with two union contracts up for negotiation this year, it’s possible the 2022–2023 school budget might surpass the state’s 2% annual budget cap.
Rosado said the district usually allocates approximately $750,000 surplus in an annual budget, rather than $2.2 million.
During public comment, residents mentioned issues such as reducing class sizes, the future impact of the 73-unit Viviano project on Washington Elementary School, and possibly adding special law enforcement officers (SLEOs), also called Class III officers, to district schools.
Resident Tom Smith said a “known uniformed police presence” in schools was needed. He noted armed SLEOs were retired police officers, not characters from the television show “21 Jump Street” and he urged the board to consider police in district schools so they could respond immediately to an incident at a school.
He said he did not know what the board’s consensus was on adding SLEOs to schools. He said the board should use its surplus funds to put SLEOs in schools.
Other issues raised included expediting the full reopening of schools, with several parents chastising the board and superintendent for what they said were long delays in restarting schools.
Some called for more specifics on plans for safely reopening district schools.
Elementary schools now are on a hybrid 20-hour-per-week schedule.