What's Still in the West Deptford School Budget?

Despite a 0.65 percent increase ($181,954), .

On Monday, Superintendent Kevin Kitchenman told the public at the monthly meeting of the Board that although the final budget was pared down, there are still a number of important things for which it provides. Here are some highlights.

High School

At the high school level, some of the most expensive expenditures were one-offs, including new uniforms for 12 different sports teams and for the champion W.D.H.S. marching band.

The new band unis will cost $47,000: a big price tag, but one that only comes once a decade, Kitchenman said.

"That’s for 70 uniforms and they last 10 years, whereas all of our sports are on a three-year rotation," he said, with the exception of swimming, which necessitates an annual uniform purchase.

"Our band is very successful, and we want to make sure that they look the part."

Another big pick-up for the high school is the completion of its SmartBoard interactive whiteboard installation, a sophisticated piece of equipment "in almost every classroom in the district," Kitchenman said.

Other items included in the budget:  

• The purchase of SmartMusic software for the vocal music program.
• A subscription to IXL, a student math problem and homework site
• Expanded DECA competition fees, mostly related to transportation cost increases
• Naviance Career Software for the guidance department, which aids in post-graduation college and career planning.

Middle School

Most of the budget is dedicated to "just maintaining what we have," Kitchenman said, including "continued support for all interscholastic sports" and "maintaining all existing after-school clubs and programs."

The biggest expenditure in the middle school budget is related to bringing the district curriculum in line with the Core Curriculum common standards, as mandated by state law.

"The middle school has to be the next to align their curriculum with the Common Core standards, so that when our students have to take the PARCC assessments they’re prepared," Kitchenman said. (PARCC will be replacing the NJ ASK and HSPA standardized tests.) 

The middle school budget also includes overloads to support teaching extra after-school periods for children in need of remedial development in math and literacy.

Additionally, the middle school budget has dollars for professional development (teacher continuing education) and student participation in the Alice Paul Leadership Institute program (mostly related to transportation costs).

Elementary School 

The following information was sourced from Kitchenman's presentation: 

Green-Fields Elementary

Oakview Elementary

Red Bank Elementary

Additional  New Curricular materials: Time for Kids; Brain Pop

10 iPads for classroom use

Increased late buses for after-school programs

Build Literacy Coach teaching library, upgrade Music  Program  supplies and materials

Outdoor benches for student writing  center

Continued funding to support after-school programming for enrichment and at-risk students

Addition of Peer Tutoring Club

Additional chairs for the All-Purpose room for special events

Additional online resources (Brain Pop, and Tumblebooks)

Tables and chairs for two classrooms

Continued funding to support after-school programming for enrichment and at-risk students

Continuation and expansion of the Kindergarten Letter club.

Facility upgrades – repaint states map and blacktop games; students drop-off zone signage;

Cabinets and countertops for nurse's office; "Green-Fields Elementary" lettering for front of building

5 walkie-talkies for school security . All classrooms will be equipped with them.

Security Upgrade- replace the current window in the main office into a service window that will then  allow the main office door to be locked at all times.

Technology, Special Services, and Curriculum

"We’re a 1:1 student district," in terms of laptop-to-student ratio, Kitchenman said, and because of the expectations that students will complete a lot of work on their laptops, the district provides robust technology support.

"There’s no downtime," he said.

Along with the computers, the district must also expand its Internet bandwidth, which is essential for PARCC testing, Kitchenman said.

“We now have 2,000 student laptops demanding access to the Internet on a regular basis.”

The district child study team also will purchase new IEP Direct web-based software to help manage its responsibilities for special-needs children. The budget also allows the district to create a multiply disabled program that will retain at least four students, saving at least $110,000 in out-of-district tuition.

The budget also provides for:

• Purchase of new K-12 online Assessment program (MAPS or Renaissance Learning)
• Increased funds for curriculum writing
• Increased funds for summer workshops
• Purchase of a new K-2 literacy series
• Maintaining Title I K-2 Summer School
• Continuing educational researcher partnership
• Report card revisions
• Extended school day at Green-Fields
• Training costs for new, state-mandated principal evaluation framework