‘The hardest thing I’ve had to do’ – Chief School Administrator Mark Marrone
LINWOOD — “It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in almost 25 years,” Chief School Administrator Mark Marrone said about cutting staff to make up for a significant loss in state aid. “Unfortunately it’s heartbreaking the way you get to these numbers is by addressing staff.”
The Mainland Regional High School Board of Education adopted its 2024-25 budget April 25 after “a long month of sleepless nights.”
Gov. Phil Murphy delivered his budget address Feb. 27 and the district, under the final year of the Student Funding Reform Act of 2018, was informed that it lost $1.4 million in state aid.
“It’s very difficult to maintain a district when you have to deal with that large of a cut at once,” Marrone said.
School Business Administrator Chandra Anaya, who presented the 2024-25 spending plan to the Board of Education on March 19, said the loss amounted to 17 percent of the previous year’s aid.
To make up for the loss, the district budget increases the tax levy 2.678 percent and eliminates 17 staff positions: a 12-month secretary, technology assistant, data manager, supervisor of instruction, maintenance facility worker, Spanish teacher, math teacher, chemistry teacher, two special education teachers, two social studies teachers and five special education aides.
The $29,307,896 budget is down $2,137,257 and includes a $20,167,365 tax levy (up from $19,642,254), $6,773,208 in state aid, $2,087,543 in fund balance and $712,599 in other revenue.
Using banked cap, the district increased the tax levy 2.678 percent to $7,165,371 in Linwood, $6,694,588 in Northfield and $8,655,571 in Somers Point. The equalized valuation for 2024-25 has Somers Point paying 38.47 percent, Linwood 31.81 percent and Northfield 29.72 percent of the total budget, based on property values.
According to the presentation, the assessed value has increased in Linwood (up $7,679,600 to $942,064,900) and Northfield (up $7,774,500 to $880,164,100) and fallen in Somers Point (down $7,226,400 to $1,139,176,000).
The regional school tax would rise in all three sending districts. Taxpayers in Linwood are facing an increase of 1.5 cents per $100 of assessed value to 74.9 cents, those in Northfield an increase of 1 cent to 74.8 cents and those in Somers Point 1.1 cents to 75.4 cents.
That equates to a regional school tax bill of $749 for each $100,000 of home value in Linwood, or $2,247 on a $300,000 home; $748 per $100,000 in Northfield, or $2,244 on a $300,000 home; and $754 per $100,000 in Somers Point, or $2,262 on a $300,000 home.
Board of Education President Jill Ojserkis said the spending plan had been reviewed by the finance committee and submitted to the county executive superintendent’s office, which made no changes.
“We know of course that we were very disappointed prior to submitting our budget that there were some changes made to the finances recommended by the governor and his budget,” Ojserkis said, noting talks are taking place about returning some of the funds to districts around the state.
“The pundits say that some money will be coming back,” she said. “We hope so, but we have to do this budget based upon the numbers that we have.”
Marrone said the administration “worked really hard to try to keep Mainland Mainland.”
“The board knows we’ve spent weeks shuffling this around and even speaking to MREA leadership about concerns they had,” he said. “I wish it were different, but the reality is we have to do what we have to do.”
Marrone said he is looking to the future as much as the present.
“In the end, can Mainland be Mainland next year? Can we still have the programs and offerings that we have? We believe so,” he said. “One of our guiding principles in this is what doesn’t impact students.”
Marrone said even if the district were to get some of the funds back, hiring the staff members may not be the best move.
“If money was to come back in, we have to take a look at what that looks like candidly,” he said. “I don’t know if you put yourself in a position for something to happen again next year.”
The district has notified all of the affected staff members of the situation and has been working to help them secure new positions. Marrone said they were presented reduction in force letters, which he noted are different than non-renewals because it is made clear the severance was not due to performance.
Ojserkis said the district tries to keep the tax levy increase below the 2 percent state-mandated cap and did so for the past decade.
“This board has always tried to do what we can to make sure that we can afford the best education possible and we’ve been fortunate enough to do it without having gone past (the 2 percent cap) for the past almost 10 years,” she said.
Anaya agreed.
“We are very cognizant that everything in life is going up and all of it keeps adding up, but without the increase we would not be able to sustain the programs that we have,” Anaya said.
Fred Crane, new president-elect of the Mainland Regional Education Association, said the union is appreciative of the administration’s efforts.
“I know this has been difficult,” Crane said, noting he works with the New Jersey Education Association.“We are very aware of the funding formula and the short notice and time you have to respond to these things. We’re working on that as well.”
– By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff