1. BRIDGEWATER-RARITAN REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
School Budget
3/31/10: FINAL

2. Development of the Budget
September 26 Requests submitted by staff
October 22 Budget Information Sessions for the public
November Meetings with principals
December 1, 10 Board Finance Committee Meetings
December 15 Introduction to the Budget, presented to Board and public
January 12, 26 Public input sessions at Board meetings
January, February Continued review by Finance Committee
Feb – April Staff and Community presentations
March 16 Governor’s Budget Address
March 18 State Aid Notices
March 18 Tentative Budget approved by Board
March 22 Tentative Budget to County Exec Supt
March 23 Board meeting
March 26, 31 Public hearing and Board adoption of budget
April 20 Election/Budget Vote

3. Community Presentations
Thursday, February 18, 7:00 Hamilton
Wednesday, March 3, 7:30 Adamsville
Thursday, March 4, 9:30 Van Holten
Wednesday, March 10, 7:00 Milltown
Thursday, March 11, 10:00 Eisenhower
Thursday, March 11, 7:30 Hillside
Tuesday, March 16, 8:30 High School
Wednesday, March 17, 7:00 Bradley Gardens
Thursday, March 18, 9:00 J.F.K.
Tuesday, March 23, 6:00 Raritan Town Hall
Tuesday, March 23, 7:00 Middle School
Thursday, April 8, 6:30 Crim
Wednesday, April 14, 7:00 High School (Athletic Boosters)

4. Board Budgetary Goals
Involve the public in the budget process as early as possible
Minimize tax increases
Minimize budget increases
Maintain reasonable class size, K-12
Maintain and stabilize services that meet the needs of all students, including …
Special education
Gifted/talented
Academic support
English Language Learners
Implement Strategic Planning recommendations
Continue improving the K-12 Language Arts Literacy program

5. Tax Levy Increase & Budget Increase Comparison
Adopted Budget Adopted Budget % Decrease/Increase
REVENUE
TAX LEVY $113,403, $119,016, %
STATE AID $ 12,696, $ 5,431, %
OTHER $ , $ 1,061, %
FUND BALANCE $ 6,252, $ 3,917, %
$133,154, $129,426, % 5

6. General Fund Operating Budget History
Year Expenditures Increase $129,263, % $133,154, % $128,832, % $123,935, % $118,730, % $110,178, % $102,771, % $96,335, %

7. Budget Reductions Chronology
DRAFT #1: DECEMBER 15 $813K Initial personnel reductions (13) due to declining enrollments, low class sizes, & state regs DRAFT #2: FEBRUARY 23 TIER 1 $2.0M Due to State Aid loss. (reduced from $4M by using surplus) DRAFT #3: MARCH 9 TIER 2 $2.4M Due to projected 15% loss of State Aid DRAFT #4: MARCH 18 TIER 3 $4.6M Due to 55% loss of State Aid DRAFT #5:MARCH 31 TIER 3 $2.1M Increased tax levy to offset (revised) reductions, reflected $1.4M givebacks by BREA If needed… DRAFT #6: APRIL 21 TIER 4 ? If budget does not pass and further cuts are required by the Town Councils 7

8. Summary of Budget Reductions
Reduction of 63 total teachers, K-12 (7.0% reduction)
Reduction of 5 total administrators/managers (10.6% reduction)
Reduction of 24 total support staff (8.9% reduction)
Elimination of district custodial services, replaced with outsourcing
Reduction of 6.5 reading recovery teachers, and Reading Recovery delivery model replaced with Intervention Specialists model
Elimination of School Wide Enrichment in grades K-6
Elimination of 2 AI (Academically Independent) classes in 6th grade and reduction of 2 AI classes in grades 2-4
Elimination of cycle classes in 5th and 6th grade
Elimination of Spanish instruction in 1st and 2nd grade
Reduction of 2 librarians at the middle school and high school, reduced to one at each building 8

9. Summary Budget Reductions (continued)
Elimination of a half-time guidance counselor at Eisenhower
Reduction of a full time guidance counselor at Hillside, reduced to part-time
Elimination of non-instructional assistants (library assistants, copy assts)
Elimination of World Language lab assts at the middle school and high school
Reduction of district secretarial staff
Reductions in new textbook adoptions, staff development, technology software/hardware
Elimination of middle school intramurals
Elimination of district-funded middle school environmental trip
Elimination of new high school or middle school band and athletic uniforms
Elimination of intermediate school after school clubs and transportation
Reduction of district facilities improvements 9

10. Summary of What Remains in Budget
The 9-Period day at the high school allowing for 2 elective classes each semester
Intervention Specialists for struggling students, K-12
E (Enriched) classes in science, social studies, language arts and math in 6th grade
Multiple world language choices in middle school
Six world language choices in high school
Spanish instruction in grades 3, 4, 5, and 6
Daily world language instruction in middle school and high school
AI (Academically Independent) classes in grades 2-5
Full 5-8 Language Arts adoption
Instrumental music in grade 5 and 6
Ice Hockey and Winter Track at the high school
Middle school athletics, clubs, and late busses

11. Where To Go Next if Further Cuts Are Needed …
K-4 class sizes exceeding 25
5-8 class sizes approaching 30
9-12 class sizes exceeding 30
High school 8-period day
High school athletics
District-wide fine arts
Administrative and support staff
Suspending all curricular program and text adoptions

12. Board Options
1. Use automatic waivers to offset State Aid reduction (increases tax levy) 2. Use additional spending proposal question(s) to offset State Aid reductions (increases tax levy) 3. Use combination of #1 and #2 (increases tax levy) 4. Keep budget as is, reflecting $9.0M worth of reductions (maintains tax levy increase at 4%) 12

13. Finance Committee Recommendation
BUDGET QUESTION: 4.95% tax levy increase
Resolved, that there should be raised for the General Fund $119,016,825 for
the ensuing school year ( ).  It has been determined that each
municipality’s share of the above-mentioned amount is as follows:
Bridgewater Township     $105,129,101.36
Raritan Borough             $ 13,887,723.64 13

14. School Budget Average Tax Increase
Base Budget
4.95% tax levy increase
*Bridgewater $
**Raritan $
*Based on average assessed home value in Bridgewater of $424,237
** Based on average assessed home value in Raritan of $320,306

15. Budget Expenditures
Personnel 78.6% Transportation 6.5% Purchased Professional Services 4.2% Utilities 3.1% Out of District Placements 2.9% Supplies/Texts 2.7% Communication/Leases/Rentals 1.2% Capital/Maintenance .2% Other .7%

16. Comparative Costs (taken from the NJ DOE 2009 Comparative Spending Guide)
BRRSD Somerset Avg.
Total cost per pupil $ 12,704 (6th lowest) $ 13,146
Administrator per pupil cost $ 1,112 (3rd lowest) $ 1,395
Student to administrator ratio to 1 (leanest) to 1
Faculty to administrator ratio to 1 (2nd leanest) to 1
Total Somerset districts compared: 17

17. Voting History Over 27,000 registered voters:
2009 passed by 1279 votes, 5923 total votes
2008 passed by 211 votes, 4587 total votes
2007 defeated by 242 votes, 3968 total votes
2006 passed by 158 votes, 4250 total votes
2005 passed by 119 votes, 4863 total votes
2004 defeated by 146 votes, 3580 total votes
2003 defeated by 281 votes, 2495 total votes
2002 defeated by 288 votes, 3490 total votes

18. How to Help Become informed - Ask questions
Join a campaign: BREA “Kids First”, CSA and PTO “Get Out the Vote”
Reach out to the unregistered voter
Registration link on
Remember the “4-year law”
Reach out to the “inactive” voter
Provide an absentee ballot request form
Make a call
Give a ride
Get to the polls
Spread the Good News about BRRSD!

19. Annual School Election
Important Date
APRIL 20
Annual School Election
7:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.
Please remember to vote!!!