Friday, April 27, 2012
Because of budgetary constraints, the Millburn Library will be closed on Sundays all summer.
Because of continued budgetary constraints, the Millburn Free Public Library will be closed on Sundays from June 24 through September 30. The reduction in hours is the result of three years of shrinking budgets from the Township, says Library Director William Swinson. "Despite both high circulation in 2011 (249,934 transactions) and high attendance (236,013 visits), the Library can no longer maintain service-as-usual," Swinson said. It will, however, remain open on Saturdays during August, when it has traditionally been closed. Since 2010, Swinson said, the township has funded the Library at the minimum state-mandated level based on equalized valuation. During that time, Millburn’s equalized valuation has been declining. In 2010 Library …
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Budget will go on to state without public vote; Rosetta stone deemed a success after just a few weeks.
The Millburn Township Schools Board of Education finalized the budget in front of a packed house Monday night, highlighting the big expenditures and low tax rate increase. The big costs in next year’s $78.9 million budget ($85 million including debt service) come in the form of improving infrastructure – both in technology and in facilities with refurbishing the middle school auditorium and the high school bleachers. Some $1.4 million was transferred from the capital reserves to pay for auditorium project and the bleachers. And $1.8 million will be spent on improving the technological infrasturture to make sure that teachers and students can get the most out of the technology they have and can "move into the 21st Century." The budget …
Monday, March 26, 2012
Tonight's meeting will be the last public hearing before BOE members vote on the budget and send it the state.
Tonight is your LAST CHANCE to comment on the Board of Education’s budget for the 2012-2013 school year. The budget raises taxes .65 percent, or just half of what last year’s budget called for. This will be the last public hearing on the budget before the school board takes a final vote and sends it to the state. There will be no School Budget Election in April 2012. Instead, election of school board members will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2012. Candidates for Board of Education must submit their petitions to the County Clerk in Newark by June 5, 2012 at 4 p.m. Candidates may still download the packet from the school district website. The Board of Education has approved the Preliminary Budget for the 2012-2013 school year. The 78.9 …
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Facing a $13 billion funding gap, NJ's state and local governments and school districts have to make deep cuts or reinvent the way they provide services.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
However board will not rescind earlier vote; may face action by some in the community.
In the month since the Millburn Board of Education voted to move school board elections from April to November, ending the public vote on the school budget, the issue has become one of the most heated in recent history. Residents have talked with each other and with board members – both for and against the move. They’ve brought it up at subsequent meetings, hoping for a reversal. There have been letters to the editor and lots of questions asked. And several representatives of We Love Millburn, recently told board that the law itself creates a conflict of interest for board members who stand to benefit by extending their terms and it also violates their rights as property owners who pay taxes to support the budget. They have said if the …
Friday, March 2, 2012
Because of state aid, school board was able to stay below a 1 percent tax rate increase.
Updated 8 p.m. 3/2/2012 The Millburn Board of Education passed a preliminary 2012-2013 budget of $78.9 million with a 0.65 percent tax rate that represents the lowest tax increase in memory. “To put it in perspective, 0.65 percent is half of last year’s rate of 1.35 percent and represents the lowest tax rate in Millburn’s recent or even past history,” said the board's finance committee chairperson Lise Chapman. “We have come down 1.35 percent from the Administration’s 2 percent tax rate proposed beginning with the initial budget presentation on Jan. 9.” Chapman said the 0.65 percent tax rate also represents a compromise between what the Administration wanted and those who wanted no tax increase at all. "This process is an art not a …
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Take our poll: Should the board reverse its decision to move elections to November?
Board of Education budget discussions continue tonight at a special budget meeting where the board will pore over the propopsed $77.5 million spending plan for the coming school year. Superintendent Dr. James Crisfield presented a preliminary budget with a 2 percent tax increase “as a placeholder” until the district found out how much it was getting from the state, and school board members have said they want to come in under that amount. The district learned last week that it will get $353,748 more than last year -- for a total of $1.8 million -- from the state. The Board of Education's finance committee met on Tuesday night to go over the package that will be presented tonight, when the board is expected to discuss and approve a …
Monday, February 27, 2012
School Board will meet on Monday and Thursday to discuss the budget.
Board of Education budget discussions continue this week at a regular meeting tonight and again at a special budget meeting on Thursday as the board pores over the $77.5 million spending plan for the coming school year. Superintendent Dr. James Crisfield presented a preliminary budget with a 2 percent tax increase “as a placeholder” until the district found out how much it was getting from the state, and school board members have said they want to come in under that amount. The district learned last week that it will get $353,748 more than last year from the state. The Board of Education's finance committee will meet on Tuesday night to go over the package that will be presented on Thursday, March 1, at a special budget meeting, when the …
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Students will no longer have foreign language teachers but will learn with an interactive computer program.
As part of the Board of Education's budget cuts, elementary schools will no longer have World Language teachers or a curriculum, but board members say that will be replaced with a program like Rosetta Stone. “The World Language program as it is now is ineffective,” said Board Member Scott Kamber. “We decided we could look for a better program and were confident we could wind up with something better than it is now.” Business Administrator Steven DiGeronimo said the cost savings in losing $268,000 in salaries and benefits of four full-time equivalent positions, but there is not a figure for how much the new language program will cost yet. In addition, staff will be moved around, so it is not clear yet which teachers will lose their …
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Board reduces fees and hardship allowance for subscription busing but keeps program; Public will vote on budget April 27.
Despite the concerns of parents whose children would have to walk long distances on what they called hazardous routes, the Millburn Board of Education eliminated courtesy busing Monday night when members unanimously adopted a budget that increases taxes 1.35 percent. In an effort to compromise on the busing issue, board members tweaked their original proposal, allowing for a cap on fees for multiple children in a family and doubling the income threshold for qualifying for a hardship waiver. “Like any compromise,” Superintendent James Crisfield said, “no one will be happy with all of it.” Crisfield predicted correctly. Many parents, especially those whose children were redistricted out of their neighborhood schools, expressed frustration …
The Stig
2:46 am on Monday, April 30, 2012
Probably not. It would violate their Union contract. more ›