Montclair Education Association: Budget has surplus, not deficit

Montclair Pedagogy Association members cargo hold up signs protesting aspects of the school budget, including the proposed elimination of 14 paraprofessional jobs.
Pic BY ERIN Roll out/Faculty

By ERIN Peal
coil@montclairlocal.news

The Montclair Department of Education Association is questioning the Board of Education's arrogate of a $2.2 million budget hole for the 2019-2020 school year. A recent New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) scrutinise of Montclair's school budget found that the zone had a $3.8 million surplus overall, contends MEA members.

The NJEA used the BOE's Comprehensive Yearly Business Account from January to accumulate its scrutinize, said MEA Vice Chair Turkey cock Manos.

"So these are your Numbers. We just analyzed them," helium told the board happening Master of Architecture 18.

MEA Chair Petal Robertson aforesaid the budget misrepresents the funds that are in reality available. Specifically, Robertson said, the audit saved a $1.5 million surplus, $4.1 1000000 in unexpended funds, an average of $450,000 a year in unrestricted funds and $1 million in special education aid.

The surplus money is imperviable that the district had the financial means to retain faculty, she said.

"There has been no intended design to hide money. My stance has always been, and will always be transparent and honest, whether it's in private or in a group," Superintendent Kendra Johnson aforesaid. "Because that's not the entropy that we have in look of us."
Although Robinson told the audience on March 18 the audit was available to the common, a request for a copy past Montclair Local was denied.

SURPLUS

According to the audit, Montclair had $3.8 million in unneeded at the remainder of the 2017-2018 academic year. The district had budgeted for $2.4 one thousand thousand in surplus money at the start of the 2018-2019 school class, said teacher Anne Baney.

"Simply put, you started this school year with $1.2 one thousand thousand unneeded," she told the board. "Where did it go? How was that money spent?"
Over the last decade, the district has historically brought in more revenue than it budgeted for on an average of $1.5 million a twelvemonth, Baney same.

"For 2019-20 we have enlarged our Fund Balance Allocation for Tax Relief to $1,000,000 from $500,000 in 2018-19. The increase in the amount for encumbrances are for goods/services that are committed at class end that take not been received as of June 30," Johnson told Montclair Local.

Factual REVENUE

Actual revenue includes state aid, local taxes, grants, regime aid, entitlements and employee health care contributions. The territory spent $1.4 million to a lesser degree received in revenue according to the scrutinize, said Greg Woodruff, a teacher at Montclair High School.
He claims the district had $4.1 million at the start of this academic year.
"It doubles what is in the budget cakehole," he told the control board.

MISCELLANEOUS Taxation

Unrestricted miscellaneous receipts is what the district receives that can go to any line item the BOE chooses, said teacher Margaret Saraco. She pointed to historical data spanning 11 old age in which the dominion received $457,000 on norm more than budget for in unrestricted pecuniary resource She questioned the budgeting of these funds for $184,000 in 2017-18 and $175,000 for 2018-19.

"By under budgeting [this particular] you are basically big yourselves Thomas More money to play with," she said calling it dishonest and non transparent.

LBJ told Montclair Local in the shoemaker's last 2 years the budget reflected an increase in tax income from Interest on Investments. For the 2019-20 school year, the budget shows an increase of $535,000 to account for the additional taxation from sake. However, the territory is anticipating to a lesser extent revenue from tuition due to removing the Before/Aft Deal program from the operating budget, she said.

EXTRAORDINARY AID

The district does non receive preternatural aid funds until the end of the year, however instructor Karen Tripucka pointed to the acknowledge of funds that are growing every year. The BOE still budgets for $400,000, the same as in 2014-15, but last yr received $1 meg more than budgeted for, she said.

Aft the merging, Johnson concurred that the district received $1,354,551 above the amount budgeted.

"The five yr analytic thinking reflects that we are trending towards acquiring more aid than in preceding years but we are cautious to increase this amount until we have Thomas More consistence in the funding," she said.

The 2019-20 budget now reflects a $500,000 amount.

Robertson questioned wherefore a budget with a deficit would include funding for new alternative school programs, so much as the Gateway program, and a new position for a dean of mood and civilisation.

"It's because the district knows it's sitting on a healthy surplus," she said.

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Source: https://www.montclairlocal.news/2019/03/28/montclair-education-association-budget-nj/

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