NWR Budget

Vote NO to the North Warren Budget. 20% can easily be cut from the budget without affecting anything. Taxes will go up if this budget is passed. Save our schools and vote NO.

You are obviously from KNOWLTON. Blairstown, Frelinghuysen and Hardwicks tax rate will all go down. AND if 20% can easily be taken out state some facts.

VOTE FOR THE BUDGET.

AND FOR THE SECOND QUESTION> The boilers are needed and reason for second question to get it is; IF it was in budget we wouldnt get 40% of it paid for by the state. If it was in budget we have to pay the whole thing.

PASS BUDGET AND QUESTION

For more details on budget read my other post in VOTE FOR THE SCHOOL BUDGET

Fedup you must either be on the School Board or Running for School Board. Here are some preliminaries for you to consider.

$123,500 for 2 teachers (1 science and 1 social studies) Starting salaries are only around $40,000 even with a masters it's under 50,000 so unless they are going to hire teachers with 15 years experience this number can be cut by about 1/3.

Do away with the new courses for next year and save another $23,000.

Under the additional student activities section $4000 for Middle School field hockey, what do they need to buy or is this for another coach. More evening conferences $3000, additional events of 2400 and assistant cross country coach 4000 and 8000 for new uniforms for football and lacrosse that are on 7 year cycles. Lacrosse hasn't been a sport there for 7 years so they can wait for the new uniforms. So cutting here will save about another $15,000.

Increase in athletic transportation costs of $25,000. I know gas is high right now but this is too high. Say cut another 8,000 here and 40,000 for special ed transportation again you can cut 10,000 here. So save $18,000 on the increased transportation costs.

If you do away with the new courses for next year there is no need for the $15,000 to be spent on CADD/ROBOTICS computers and smartboards. Plus shouldn't this have been calculated in the 100 computers in the budget for lease. Just more padding here.

Replacing the doors to the cafeteria and gym, this could be put off for a year or two until the economy is better. So again saving another $56,000.

So in just a short time looking through the budget slide show on the northwarren website I can cut $150,000 from the budget without affecting anything.

That is not even mentioning the number of classes that they run with less than 10 students. If they eliminated these classes they can then make the teacher's part time and save on salaries and benefits. This could be huge in the way of savings.

So Fedup here are just some things that I came up with in a short time, I have not looked at the entire budget, but I am sure that if I did I could continue to make cuts that would not affect the students.

So what is it, are you on the school board or are you running for school board. Because that is the only way anyone could possibly be for this budget.

Half of what you say is wrong and SHOULDNT or cant be cut. No I am not on the BOE or running for BOE. I just have looked at the budget. Although some numbers I see you state are possible cuts. Like I said there is ALWAYS fat somewhere but not as much as you are saying. The 123 for teachers I would have to agree.

Just like that do away with no courses I dont agree.

The sports cuts, I half agree, to save time i will say yes to 7500 there.

Athletic transportation I STRONGLY disagree with your numbers, by next September gas will be at 4 dollars a gallon, that is just the start of the year.

CADD/ROBOTOICS yes get rid of it, but instead replace with something worth while such as Web Design and graphic design.

I believe the doors are a security issue. I will NOT play with the safety of the school.

Yes, just like that do away with new courses. The courses are not currently being taught so why go through this added expense of adding new courses. As for your worthwhile classes I believe that Web Design and Graphic Design are already taught there.

Let's just say we don't agree on this budget. According to your logic earlier that the budget should pass because Knowlton is the only town where taxes goes up is wrong. This leads to the us against them mentallity. Regardless of where the kids are coming from I think that all towns should have shared in the costs. If you lower taxes for one town then lower them for all towns. If you can lower taxes for 3 of the 4 towns don't you think you could lower them for all towns.

According to what you say, how about this. Senior citizens shouldn't have to pay any school taxes because they don't have kids there, parents who send there kids to private schools shouldn't have to pay school taxes, couples without children shouldn't have to pay school taxes. You say that Knowlton should pay more because they are sending more kids. It is time to REGIONALIZE the entire school district. YES all three elementary schools and the high school will fall under ONE ADMINISTRATION. HOW MUCH MONEY WILL THIS SAVE, HOW ABOUT AT LEAST $350,000 SINCE EACH SCHOOL WON'T HAVE IT'S OWN SUPERINTENDENT THERE WILL JUST BE ONE FOR ALL OF THE SCHOOLS.

The Web design and Graphic design class are both a joke, they teach NOTHING that is used in the real world.

I will say we disagree because you have the Selfish NOT FOR ME attitude. My logic isnt to just pass cause it is us against them. DO YOU HAVE ANY KIND OF GRASP ON HOW THE TOWNS PAY THEIR SHARE. NO Blairstown shouldnt pay more because Knowlton sends more students this year. Cost per town is based on cost per student coming from that town.

Your last paragraphic is just pure idiotic. In no way to do suggest of say Seniors shouldnt pay or people who send their kids to other schools shouldnt have to pay. How did you derive this in your Delusional scheme of thinking. HEY WE AGREE ON SOMETHING. We should regionalize, however the cost savings isnt as clear as you make it. Yes 1 super but that super would have to have a few assistants. Also bring the Charter school under that administration OR GET RID OF IT. It is such a waste. State talks about shared services and merging yet the very next week they extend the charter school for another 5 years.

Taxpayer how are you going to vote on the Charter School budget. OH WAIT I FORGET WE DONT GET A VOTE. Our money and we have no say. Now if you want to fight something meet me the next Ridge and Valley Meeting and we will fight it together. OH WAIT forget it they will just close it to the public and tell us to leave. WE DONT HAVE A SAY ON OUR TAX DOLLAR>

Come on Taxpayer we have 2 days left to debate. Whether you are right or I am by discussing this we are getting the few people that read this thinking. Remember though, I am not fighting with you here, it is all a matter of people have different ideas and what each feels is best for the good of all.

I think a lot of people are reading what you have to say. The total amount of visits to the site so far this month has been over 8000. I'm sure a lot of resiedents are reading your debate and like myself picked up a lot of good information regarding the budget. I only wish they would get of their lazy rear ends and vote. Too much apathy in this country, state and town.
Why don't we have more of a say where our tax dollar is spent?

But thanks again for the info. Now I know how I should vote.

Doug, like you said that is the most important thing is to get out and vote. For or against doesn't matter as long as you get out and vote. If you don't vote then don't complain. As for Fedup, let me do some more research to see if I can come up with more cuts. Again biggest savings to taxpayers come in regionalizing all of the schools, as far as Superintendents having assistants ok I'll give you 1 assistant, but 2 is better than 4. Also I think that the Board should look into dropping classes with less than 15 students, and if you make those teachers part-time teachers you pay less for them along with their benefits.

So now what happens in town with the schools? Do we see some fund raisers for the Lacrosse Team like years past? Do the students and the parents get the communities involved? I know some in the community think by saying "when we were kids" is wrong but why?

There was a time if we didn't have enough money we lived without or we went out and earned enough to support our pleasures.

The attitude of wanted something and buying it with credit unfortunately is the norm. But, we need to change that style of living. We can see what over extending ourselves can do by what is going on in our unsteady/unsafe economic times in this country.

How would regionalizing our schools help with expenses? I'm not being facetious. I don't know enough about the system to understand what the difference would be. It does seem logical that by dropping classes with less than 15 students would be a savings and that money could be used more wisely.

Yes, if you don't vote - don't complain.

Doug,

Times change -- what was the norm when we were kids is NOT the norm now. We live in a very competitive world and and in order for our kids to compete they have to have more then we had.

I agree we are to dependent on credit and have to change that.

We have 4 Supers making over 120000 each, with regionalization we would have one super so take away 320000 in salary right away. Yes most likely he would have to have a asst super but that wouldnt be at the 120000 or higher salary. Plus I am sure there are many more jobs that could be regionalized to save salary.

Ok Doug here are some ideas as to how regionalization could possibly save money. As stated earlier there would be 1 Super instead of 4, with that there would also only be 1 school business manager instead of 4 along with the number of super's secretaries being cut down. There would be 1 teacher's union instead of 4. The costs for supplies and the like would be cut down as now you are buying together instead of separately. There are a number of ways that costs could be shared. Regionalizing could possibly save 1 million dollars or more per year. With those savings taxes should go down.

Can you explain regionalization? I thought we were already a regionalized school system since we take students from other towns. I assume there is a lot more to the process in being considered a regional school system.

I honestly don't see taxes ever going down. If our taxes are not needeed for the school budget I'm sure the politicians have many other places that the money can be spent. I'm not saying that it is a bad thing spending the extra money. I'm sure there are numerous areas of needed maintenance in our township.

Only the high school and middle school are regionalized. Knowlton, Blairstown and Frelinghuysen are all separate school districts. With that each one needs to have a superintendant, business manager, etc. If the 3 elementary schools and the middle/high school become one district then there should be savings to the taxpayers.

Lets not forget the Charter school which should not even be there anyway, or we should not be funding it the way it is funded. The charter school should also be part of the regionalization. You are gonna start hearing alot about this issue. I am going to make this a big issue and really start pushing it.

How should or could the Charter School be funded? I understand they don't get as much as the school system receives per student. It is less so is the balance needed funded privately or does it come from other goverment offices such as the Feds?

doug maluchnik May 5, 2008 8:11 am | Link

How could it be funded? Let the parents of the kids that go there pay for it. Dont take my tax dollars and then tell me I cant vote on the schools budget. Taxation without representation.

You will here it is only a few kids from our area that go there. Yes but that is probalby worse then having 20 go. If it was 20 we could say ok that is one teacher we can get rid of. Being just a few we lose the money at our REAL schools but cant cut a teacher or class because there werent enough students gone.

Did anyone else notice the Assistant Superintendent position that is being created by the NWR BOE? Why do we need to pay another person $120,000 plus? What is the Superintendent's job? It's not like this is a BIG school. Why do we need more administrators?????????

Fedup, how can you say web design and graphic design teach nothing for the real world? Do you realize that the website you're currently on was made by someone who knew web and graphic design? Those are career classes and thus kids that take it are interested in it as a career. Why should we stop the kids from learning possible careers. And what do you mean CADD isn't being taught? Hank Golzio has been teaching for 30+ years and does an amazing job and still does and this past year, I've worked with him as my mentor and advisor and I know he is one of the best teachers North Warren has ever employed.

All the classes North Warren has are definatly there for possible career development. Some of the staff that teach it are questionable, but what can you do? I say, getting rid of classes is ridiculous. How can we deprive children of knowledge? So that way they go to college completly inadequate. Some people are math/science people. Some people are history/english people. And some people are visual/performing/media arts people and we shouldn't cut them out of the equation just because they don't follow a standard of math/science/history/english.

I couldn't vote for the budget and I'm graduating in less then a month. But I also have many friends that are younger then myself and family that still have to go through NWR. North already has the bare minimum. Why take more away?

North Warren Senior May 23, 2008 9:46 am | Link

What do you mean by bare minimum? Who are you comparing NWR with? I do see your point. I think that education is something that should have no limits put on it but when you get down to the nuts and bolts of offering education, it cost a lot of money. Where do you think that money will come from?

If you understood the hardships people are going through right now with the lack of jobs and income and the higher monthly bills you would have a better idea of why the budget was turned down. That's not your fault but it is the problem that families are trying their best to overcome. Everything and everyone is being forced to cut back for the future if we are going to continue to have close to the quality of life we have right now.

I'm sure it is frustrating to you not to have all of the classes you would like to see in NWR. I'm very sure that if the money was available that almost every person in town would go to bat for the school to have what the students needed.

People will always make comments about different subjects with some being accurate and others being totally off the wall. It's good you made your point to Fedup and I'm sure he or she will consider what you said. It's happy to hear that you feel Mr. Golzio is a great teacher. I'm sure there are many other good teachers and also some that should look for other jobs.

DM, I very much understand hardships currently going on. And I understand the budget getting shot down. What I'm saying is keep what you have, educationally, but don't TAKE any classes away.

As far as the bare minimum, I mean as far as overcrowded classrooms, outdated books, and student:teacher ratios that are unbelieveable, theres a lot more I wish could be done. But, you can only do what you can.

North Warren Senior May 23, 2008 1:09 pm | Link

Another super.... what ever they want to call them. I don't know why. Maybe the other one is not doing the job????? It is something I don't understand and I'm sure they would have a hard time getting me to their type of thinking.

How did Hank get into this, I said nothing about him. Golzio is a great teacher, coach, umpire, mentor to all of North Warren students, I dont dispute that, what i am saying it the courses that NWR teaches in Cadd and web design are OUTDATED. What they teach at NWR in those classes are not used in the real world today. They should be using programs like Microsoft Expression (lightweight) or Adobes Dreamweaver for example. Cadd? How many copies of AutoCad does the school have? What versions if they do have some? from 5 years ago. Graphic Design? what do they use Paint that comes with Windows? Also the person that runs the computer department knows nothing about computers, Rung? something like that. BTW NW Senior I didnt say not to teach these subjects just to make them worth while with a program that is used in the real world is what I meant. What you are learning in your web design class using NOTEPAD isnt going to do much for you when you get out. BTW Cadd had like 6 or less people in the class each year for the last 4 years. I checked the numbers are right.

The problem in NWR is the interm Super. Thank God she is out soon. She in one year screwed up so much it ALMOST made me wish for Tolino back.

Doug???????? The budget wasnt turned down, what are you talking about.

my many apologies for misreading. in your re-stating, i agree.

North Warren Senior May 27, 2008 6:24 pm | Link

No apology need and No problems Senior, reading back i didnt explain as well as I should have. Good luck in your graduation, on to college? or to join work force?

!!!!!!!!!LET JOAN CARR STAY!!!!!!!!!

college. and i agee about carr. shes one of the straight forward faculty members, and i like that, dont sugar-coat things.

they let bridge stay? but not carr? tsk tsk.

North Warren Senior May 28, 2008 6:18 am | Link

And Gravitt? Mistake that will hurt them later.

gravatt was actually nice to me the couple times i spoke to him in the halls. but never had him and class so cant make anything

North Warren Senior June 2, 2008 9:13 pm | Link