SECAUCUS – With virtually no advertising, the Secaucus Board of Education introduced its proposed 2011-2012 budget on Thurs., March 3 at a poorly attended meeting held of Huber Street School.
Typically, it is at the budget introduction meeting that Schools Superintendent Cynthia Randina and Schools Business Administrator Ed Walkiewicz present the overall budget, detail any necessary program cuts, and discuss program expansions. This is also when residents learn whether or not the school budget includes a tax increase.
Since voters have the power to approve or reject the annual school budget during the April BOE elections, the budget introduction meeting is also when Randina and Walkiewicz generally ask for community support for the budget.
Given the importance of the budget intro presentation, it is generally a well-attended meeting. In 2008, 2009, and 2010 – years when the budget introduction meetings were well advertised – dozens of residents showed up to hear details of the proposed budget for the upcoming school year.
But one resident who attended the March 5 meeting said Monday that fewer than 15 residents showed up. Parents, community activists, and even members of the Secaucus Town Council said they learned of the budget introduction meeting only after the meeting had already taken place.
It appears the only announcement for the introduction was a legal ad printed in a local newspaper.
In the past, the BOE advertised its annual budget introduction meetings for the public through press releases and prominent postings to its web site. This year, whoever, the introductory meeting was not included on the March 2011 calendar on the BOE web site, and could only be found by following two links on the page. And while announcements regarding H1N1 prevention and the upcoming Secaucus High School musical were prominently displayed on the BOE web site home page, the 2011-2012 budget had yet to be posed as of March 7.
This, despite the fact the BOE employs a part-time employee, Gene Manfra, to do communications and public relations work for the school district.
When asked why the budget introduction was not better advertised, School Board Trustee Tom Troyer said Monday, “I don’t know what to tell you,” before mentioning that Walkiewicz recently took a medical leave of absence and will be out for the remainder of the school year.
Troyer speculated that with Walkiewicz out, it is possible that public announcements regarding the budget introduction “fell through the cracks” in the BOE office.
At the March 3 meeting Randina also introduced Ronald Smith as Walkiewicz’s temporary replacement. Smith, who previously worked at the Essex County Vocational Technical Schools and in the Wayne Public School District, where Randina previously worked, will be paid up to $2,500 a week as the acting business administrator during Walkiewicz’s absence.
The BOE web site does not list a date for the public hearing for the proposed 2011-2012 budget. But Mayor Michael Gonnelli said Monday that Randina informed him the public hearing will take place on March 24. at 7 p.m. at Huber Street School. – E. Assata Wright
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