Councils Working to Set Date for School Budget Hearing

The councils of Scotch Plains and Fanwood will hold a public hearing on their proposed school budget reductions either at the end of next week or on Monday, May 17.

Scotch Plains Mayor Nancy Malool announced Tuesday evening that the two town governments are working to pinpoint a date and time that will occur after they've agreed on a new tax levy, but before they officially submit it to the Board of Education.

"We will have it after we've come to a determination of what our figure's going to be, what we'll reduce the levy by, so at that point people can have input on the amount," Malool said.

The two mayors have selected subcommittees to work on the reductions over the next two weeks. In Scotch Plains, the subcommittee consists of the mayor, Councilwoman Mary DePaola and Township Manager Christopher Marion. In Fanwood, Mayor Colleen Mahr, Chief Financial Officer Fred Tomkins and a council member will serve.

The subcommittees have not met yet, Malool said, but will do so in the next couple of days.

At the regular Scotch Plains council meeting Tuesday, several local parents got up to plead with the council to keep the budget cuts to a minimum.

"I'm concerned the quality of our schools is being threatened by short-sightedness on both sides," said Pamela Magee. "I understand the budget must be trimmed, but I ask that you only trim what's absolutely necessary. Our children did not pick this fight, and they do not deserve to get hurt from it."

PTA mom Cindy Clancy Warren emphasized that this year's pain is partially the result of years of indictments from those at the state level. She urged fellow citizens to make demands of those in Trenton and not take out the mistakes made there on the children.

Meanwhile, fellow PTA member Rona Goldberg reminded the council that this year's election had record turnouts, and that while the budget was voted down, there was an unusually high number of people who came out to vote yes, too.

"I just want you to be aware that there are a lot of people who wanted the budget to pass," she said. "I hope you see the light and keep as much intact as possible."

Even Scotch Plains-Fanwood High student and SPTV volunteer Sam More got up to speak. Stepping out from behind the camera, the teen asked the council to consider how their decisions could impact the programs and activities students care about.

"Please try to keep the budget as low as possible so we can keep all the great activities up in the school — sports, music all the different clubs we have to offer," More said.

The Scotch Plains mayor acknowledged Tuesday that she's received e-mails from residents on both sides of the issue: those who want the tax increase eliminated altogether, and those who would like to see no change to the budget. The challenge, she said, is making a decision that comes somewhere in the middle.

"Neither of those are going to happen," Malool said. "To cut the entire tax increase would probably decimate the school system, and to cut nothing would go against what the public voted for. We'll end up somewhere in between, and I couldn't possibly tell you where that's going to be."

The mayor noted that four out of five of the Scotch Plains council members have children in the school system, so their decision will be one made as parents as much as elected officials.

She reminded residents that the councils are charged with setting a new tax levy number, and that while they can make recommendations about where those cuts should be made, the Board of Education does not have to follow them. The board only has to follow the new tax number set. Malool advised anyone with recommendations about where those cuts should be made to direct them to the BOE.

The mayor said residents can give their input about the new proposed tax levy at the public hearing, and that the councils could technically still make changes if need be prior to their passing of a resolution on the tax levy on May 18.

The new levy will then go to the Board of Education by May 19, and if for some reason the Board of Education does not accept the recommendation, then it will go to the county executive superintendent for mediation.