The good news for the Hoboken taxpayer is that the public school portion of their 2012 tax bills will likely be as low as the state will allow. The district also recently received positive results from an outside auditing firm looking at the school’s finances for last year. But there are still monetary losses stemming from the district’s food service program, as the school system failed to collect approximately $130,000 in food bills from parents last year, according to Superintendent Mark Toback. The food service program lost approximately $700,000 in the past year, according to the audit, and now the district will have to pay up.
The district bills parents for meals at school, and many of the bills haven’t been paid, officials said. The board has a list of parents who haven’t paid, and are trying to figure out how they should re-coup the losses. The district also missed a deadline in applying for a government reimbursement, leading to more money being lost in the food services program.
The number of recommendations in the audit, seven, is down from over 30 issued in the 2008 audit.
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Toback said in the future, the district will examine the business model of the food services program, which could mean a change in prices or exploring other proposals. He added that more money came into the district this year due to a federal breakfast program that the government sponsors and subsidizes, to the point of profit for the district.
The number of recommendations in the audit, seven, is down from over 30 issued in the 2008 audit, Toback said.
Last year, the district collected $36.7 million in local property taxes, received $3.2 million from federal sources, and $19.4 million in state aid, according to the audit.
Fewer students
The district has approximately 1,800 students, which is down from 2006-2007, when the district had 2,200 students.
Maureen Sullivan, a board member, asked if there was a reduction in staff to reflect the 400-student drop in enrollment. Toback said he did not have specific numbers, but noted that there have been many retirements and positions that were not replaced.
The audit also notes that the district has $56 million in assets – $49 million in infrastructure and $7 million worth in cash and receivables.
Toback said after the meeting that he did not find anything surprising with the audit, and was pleased that the firm gave a positive review of the district, providing only seven recommendations.
Board member Leon Gold said the board finance committee’s goals include keeping the tax levy flat while not reducing any of the teachers in the school system.
The discussions and planning for the budget for the 2012-2013 school year has already begun, but its formal introduction is not expected until March 13, 2012.
The public budget hearing and adoption are scheduled for March 29, 2012, and then the public can vote on it during the school board election on April 17, 2012.
Wayne Hills issue addressed in Hoboken
Sullivan also asked district administration officials about what the school board should do if a situation happens in Hoboken similar to what happened in Wayne Hills recently. In that district, student athletes were arrested after allegedly becoming involved in a fight off campus. The football coach, who is also the athletic director, did not suspend the players from a high school playoff game despite the arrests. However, the school board ultimately decided to bar the players from the championship competition, and the decision was upheld in court.
The board attorney, Vito Gagliardi, said the board can develop a policy about how to deal with off-site arrests or incidents for student-athletes, but he said that a coach or athletic director should handle the situation.
“If it happens to us next week, where do we go?” Sullivan asked the board attorney.
Gagliardi said that a parent, or even a coach or administrator, should handle the situation.
“My advice would be to hire the right people,” Gagliardi said. “That should have never gone to the [Wayne Hills] board…leave it to us; hold the administration accountable.”
Toback did not endorse making a general policy about a formal reaction to student-athletes being arrested.
“It’s very important to keep in mind that these are all individual and unique situations,” Toback said. “There are general guidelines that administrators follow [already in place].”
Other notes from the meeting
-The district hired Tamika Bauknight as the new director of curriculum, who will earn $125,136 per year. The salary has been pro-rated for this year.
-The Board of Education will work with the city in a partnership for the “Safe Routes to School” program, which studies and redesigns ways children arrive at school. For example, Board Member Carmelo Garcia said he hopes the school district can look into the possibility of having students’ park bikes or scooters inside school buildings. Toback said the program primarily “involves reshaping the streets [around schools] and how [they] looks to motorists.”
-Board Vice President Theresa Minutillo said there is a new Chemistry Club at Hoboken High School, and 14 students have already signed up.
-Gold said the district’s efforts to install solar panels have been put on hold until the prospect of making more money off of them increases.
-The PSAT, or the pre-Scholastic Assessment Test, will now be offered to students in grades 9, 10, and 11, as opposed to just 10th graders. The test provides the opportunity for merit-based scholarships and is a way for students to practice for the SAT, which is a crucial factor in the college admission process.
-The Iowa State University football team will conduct practices from Dec. 25 through Dec. 29 at the Hoboken High School football field in preparation for The Pinstripe Bowl against Rutgers University at Yankee Stadium on Dec. 30. Iowa State will not pay any money, but the college athletes will deliver motivational speeches to district athletes.
-A new scoreboard for the swim team is “en route,” according to district officials.
Ray Smith may be reached at RSmith@hudsonreporter.com