Monday, March 21, 2016

School Budget Update

In a March 15 update on the 2016-17 school budget, Business Administrator Gary Ottmann said of eight possible areas for budget reduction, an option to reduce fringe benefits has been "taken off the table." In addition, he said, on March 29 the school board wants to adopt a budget that reflects "no reduction in staff."

The audience, which included many Plainfield Education Association members, broke into loud applause.

The union had urged members and supporters to attend the meeting to protest possible staff cuts to save $2.325 million. The health benefit cuts had been projected to save $1.5 million.

A flier rallying PEA members to turn out on March 15 listed several other possible reductions.


In public comment, PEA Vice President Eric Jones said union members want employees "at the table" to know how the district will look after the cuts.

The budget presentation on March 10 indicated next steps as a public hearing on March 29 and an April 1 deadline for final budget adoption. According to a notice in the Courier News Saturday, the public hearing will take place at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, March 29 in the Plainfield High School auditorium.

The legal notice lists a local tax levy of $23,606,150 and a total budget of $186,511,039.

--Bernice

5 comments:

  1. With a budget almost double the size of the city why does our students still rank in the lower bottom in test scores in New Jersey?
    Do people realize that by law the school board can raise our property taxes up to 19% to make up for the shortfall in the budget?
    Why is Plainfield the only city/town in Union County with Charter schools?
    Does the superintendent realize that Republican Governor Christie and his Lt Governor Kim Guadagno are strong advocates of charter schools?
    Why do the Campbells have a bill board downtown Plainfield with a picture of our state Republican Lt Governor, our superintendent, Wilma Campbell and her running mates.
    Is our school budget paying for two billboards at the tune of $10,000?
    Why do the Campbell’s insist this school board election is not political? On second thought, no explanation needed for this one.
    it’s apparent that granting contracts to fellow members of the republican party to ensure donations to run their school board campaigns and their republican son’s campaigns is the motive for the Campbells wanting to control the money. Their campaign slogan – “It’s for the kids” – their right – her own kids, not ours!
    With the size of the budget we should, no, we DESERVE to have a top notch school with leadership whose number one priority is our Children and their education.
    14 years of the Campbell’s controlling our money and our children’s education have yield us nothing but a bigger budget.

    Loretta

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  2. I'm glad to see someone else is mad as hell and fed up with the Campbells. Let's vote in April and get some BOE members who will help our children, not themselves. I feel sorry for their son who can't seem to get out from under his parents' control and seems forced to do what they want, becoming a big loser election after election.

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  3. Well said the injustice that is going on in Plainfield schools is mind boggling. Lack of community involvement hurts.

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  4. Plainfield is a poor excuse for a City that allows idiots but not just random but home grown and groomed idiots to run it into the ground.I'm soo glad I don't live there I would rather slit my wrist and bleed out slowly. A few good people live there but it's still a D.U.M.P Dump. Hope there's a place in the inferno for those who are literally lining their pockets by destroying the children's future. Plainfield in general what a Crap Heap.

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  5. To hell with that trash heap town and I mean Plainfield.

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