By JACQUELINE DURETT
Correspondent
SAYREVILLE — The borough school district is facing increasing enrollment, looming capital projects and a shortage from state funding of $18 million.
Those were just some of the challenges Sayreville Superintendent Richard Labbe laid out during a public hearing on the budget May 3. The budget narrowly passed, with three board members Phyllis Batko, Thomas Biesiada and Dan Balka voting against it, citing concerns such as personnel issues and reserve funding levels.
The budget comes with a $95 increase on an average assessed home of $144,000. He pointed out that the district found savings totaling $115,000 in the final budget from an earlier version in order to land at that number.
“Our enrollment is going to increase significantly over the next 10 years,” Labbe said during his presentation. From this year to next year, the district is projected to jump from 6,173 students to 6,253, he said.
He said special education costs have also gone up this year with increased enrollment of students who need out-of-district services.
Capital improvements is an area where the district would like to do more, but financially cannot do so, he said. The average age of Sayreville schools is 30 years, he said, and some are older.
“We have to protect our investment,” Labbe said. “We have to maintain the quality of our schools.”
About 75 percent of the capital projects the district wanted to take on had to be cut, he said, leaving $1.14 million in capital projects, such as virtual desktops throughout the district and the replacement of some windows and one of the heating and air-conditioning units at the middle school.
The budget also includes $412,000 in facility and infrastructure costs, including gym floor refinishing and classroom painting.
The district cut five positions for 2016-17, totaling $458,000. Those positions are the chief technology and information officer; the assistant superintendent of human resources, operations and compliance; the assistant superintendent confidential secretary; the middle school music teacher; and a special education reading specialist.
However, the district is adding three positions totaling $150,000: a guidance counselor at Samsel Upper Elementary School, a special education teacher for the multiply disabled at the high school and a teacher for preschool children with disabilities.
Additionally on the administrative front, Labbe said the district is facing increases in health insurance costs.
Labbe also said it is important for the district to prepare students for the future, and as such does plan to strategically fund new technologies, including new math software piloted at Samsel this school year. It will be rolled out to all district elementary schools for 2016-17.
To increase revenue, he said, the district also will be hiring an advertising agency to explore advertising opportunities.
Sayreville received $21 million from the state for 2015-16 and is planning to receive a similar figure for next year. Labbe pointed out that the district should be receiving an additional $18 million from the state as per the state funding formula, but said Sayreville is like many other districts, which he said are being shorted the appropriate funds.
There were no comments from the public following Labbe’s presentation.
