Board of Education Announces Budget Presentation Dates

The Scotch Plains-Fanwood Board of Education has scheduled a series of budget presentations over the next two months leading up to the April 20 school board elections.

Thursday, March 18: 8 p.m., Open Agenda Meeting, Board headquarters

Wednesday, March 31: 8 p.m., Regular Public Meeting, Public Hearing on Budget, Board headquarters

Monday, April 5: 7:30 p.m., Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School

Monday, April 6: 7:30 p.m., Candidates Night

Wednesday, April 7: 7 p.m., Evergreen Elementary

Thursday, April 8: 6:30 p.m., Coles Elementary, 7 p.m., McGinn Elementary

Tuesday, April 13: 7:30 p.m., Park Middle, 7:30 p.m., Terrill Middle

Wednesday, April 14: 7 p.m., Brunner Elementary, 7:30 p.m., School One

Thursday, April 15: 8 p.m., Board of Education meeting

Monday, April 19: 7:30 p.m., PTA Ed Forum, 7:30 p.m., Kindergarten Parents Meeting

Tuesday, April 20: 2 to 9 p.m., School Board Elections

Those first two dates are when the board will present the budget during their regularly scheduled meetings. On March 18, the board will present the tentative budget and on March 31, they will host the required public hearing on it.

The board has canceled its March 25 meeting in anticipation of the hearing.

The fate of the budget will partly depend on what Gov. Chris Christie announces during the state budget presentation on March 16. The district is currently anticipating a budget of $83,796,355, a 2.62 percent increase over the current year. That was created with a 4 percent cap and under the assumption that the district will lose 10 percent in state aid for 2010-2011. That number could be as high as 15 percent, though. The district hopes to know for sure after Christie's speech.

The public is welcome to any of the above budget presentations. The board notes that March 30 is the last day to register to vote for the school board elections and April 13 is the last day to apply by mail for an absentee ballot.