Caught between a Town Council recommending budget cuts that will cause staff reductions and residents who are questioning their budget-cutting priorities, the Guttenberg Board of Education trustees voted to appeal the Town Council’s $392,517 cuts from the 2010 – 2011 school budget, and to table the final budget pending the outcome of the appeal, at a special, very heated meeting on Tuesday.
Both votes were unanimous, with the exception of Trustee Robert Tholen, who was absent.
Two weeks ago, the Guttenberg Town Council voted to decrease the school budget after voters rejected it in April. Their recommended cuts would lower the original $9.4 million levy to be raised from taxpayers to $9 million, and reduced the tax increase over last year from 7.3 percent to 2.8 percent. The increasing tax bill on a home assessed at $100,000 would be reduced from $160 to $60.
“Even if we appeal it, by the time it gets to Trenton and there is a hearing, if the funds were to be reinstated we wouldn’t see them until 2011.” – Jolene Mantineo
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Around 50 residents and many of their children attended the meeting. Several spoke during public session for about 50 minutes before the board made its vote.
“I’m sorry to say, Dr. Ramos I think you are over-paid,” said resident Delores Loppe. “I think we could do with a superintendent on an interim basis. We have had it before and our taxes weren’t that high. [Business Administrator Jolene Mantineo], I know you personally as a friend, but I think quite honestly the three-figure salary for a business administrator is a little bit too much for this town.” Mantineo’s salary is $117,204, according to public records.
Loppe said that officials had to look at the “big picture” rather than at friends or contracts.
She asked the board if they had prepared for state aid cuts when Gov. Christopher Christie was elected last year.
Board Attorney John Schettino said that while the board had originally anticipated a 5 percent decrease in their overall state aid, they did not think that they would eventually lose this year’s surplus as well as 5 percent of their total budget for next year.
In their current budget, Guttenberg lost $827,000 of its surplus when the state removed that amount from previous allocated aid. In the 2011-2012 proposed budget, the town has been allotted $800,000 less than last year, accounting for almost $1.7 million in cuts, said Schettino.
Promoting the budget
Resident Brian Guaschino said that it was the job of the board members to spread the word before April’s election so that the community would know how important the budget was.
Loppe said one resident told her before the election, “I had a voter say to me, ‘I’m not going to come out and vote…you know why? Those are just names on a machine. I don’t know those people. They don’t come to my door.’”
Another resident, Richard Saavedra, expressed concern that he had never seen Ramos before a celebration for Guttenberg’s 150th Anniversary this week.
Saving staff
In an interview on May 21, Ramos said that all non-tenured staff received layoff notices as a matter of policy. He said that originally 18 to 20 positions would be terminated, but due to the additional cuts by the council, there could be up to 30 members of staff eliminated.
“Everyone is upset,” said Ramos last week. “They are on pins and needles because some of them know that they are going to lose their jobs, so it’s not pleasant.”
Out of those positions, six teachers’ aides, the curriculum coordinator, the technology director, the library media specialist, the computer teacher, basic skills teachers and the sports program are on the chopping block.
Resident Hany Rashid expressed concern for his son and his teacher’s aide, who had received a notice. He explained that his son was disabled and was worried about how he would function without a shadow assisting him.
“Is this the smartest decision to make as a community?” asked Rashid.
Jennifer Flores asked why more cuts weren’t affecting the higher paid members of staff, rather than those on the lower spectrum on the pay scale.
Schettino said that Ramos was paid on the lower side of the spectrum for superintendents and that the school was staffed lower than the state suggestion for its size. Audience members asked why Ramos hadn’t accepted a lower salary, which Schettino said he was not at liberty to discuss.
“I don’t understand why you are cutting all of these positions and not looking at the higher positions,” said Michael Cotoia. “The budget got screwed up [and] you guys didn’t prepare for it. Why not say now we have to huddle again and get a new play going because the old one isn’t working. It isn’t working for these people. This is insanity.”
At the end of Cotoia’s comments Trustee Margarita Batista laughed, which he said he found “totally incredible” in a situation like this.
After the meeting, Batista said she laughed at a previous comment asking if board members, who are unpaid volunteers, took a salary cut.
Filing an appeal
According to Mantineo, their appeal must be submitted to Hudson County Superintendent Timothy Brennan by July 15. If approved, it will go to the state.
She said she had not prepared the resolution yet when the board took their vote, since originally she believed that they would approve the cuts.
“Even if we appeal it, by the time it gets to Trenton and there is a hearing, if the funds were to be reinstated we wouldn’t see them until 2011,” said Mantineo, who explained that those additional cuts in staff would have to be made in the meanwhile.
Tricia Tirella may be reached at TriciaT@hudsonreporter.com.