District Planned for Worst, Got Unexpected Relief

After the state took $1.83 million from the 2009-10 budget and slashed state aid to West Deptford by just over $2 million for 2010-11, the school board and administration figured they had to hunker down and prepare for the worst this year.

They’d banked $414,631 in federal aid from the EduJobs bill passed last year, which allowed for some leeway, but only represents about 1 percent of the total district budget–not even enough to cover the planned capital projects, and a drop in the bucket compared to spending on instruction and employee benefits, which together make up more than half the spending for 2011-12.

Planning for the new budget started back in the fall, with the ultimate goal being a zero-percent increase, or even a decrease, wherever possible, Superintendent Kevin Kitchenman said at the budget workshop Saturday.

With the exception of facilities, operations and the child study team, that zero-percent increase was met across the district, Kitchenman said.

So with that goal met, the district planned with two main scenarios in mind.
The first, more optimistic budget scenario figured on flat funding from the state–the same $10,444,666 as in 2010-11–which would’ve allowed the district to accomplish some of its goals, though not everything.

Under that plan, replacement of the tennis courts would’ve been shelved, duplicate curriculum materials–necessary as part of the switch to grade-level schools–would’ve been put on hold and all new positions, save a lone technical position at the middle school, were off the table.

The other, more dire option–and one many superintendents throughout the state thought was possible, even likely, Kitchenman said–was a cut in state aid equal to the federal EduJobs funding.

With that scenario, everything was off: Capital projects would’ve been cancelled and the likelihood of further staff cuts loomed.

“Luckily for us, neither of these two scenarios happened,” Kitchenman said, as the district got an increase of $413,794 from the state.

That increase in funding came as a complete surprise to Kitchenman and the board.

“No one anticipated any increase in state aid,” he said.

That increase allowed the district to re-insert replacement of the tennis courts into the proposed budget, though they’re still looking for savings elsewhere.

Two retirements–a full-time kindergarten teacher and a guidance counselor at the high school–will help lower costs in the long run, school board president Jim Mehaffey said.

“We only save via attrition,” he said.