MAY 17, 2005

MAYOR, COUNCIL, SCHOOL BOARD TRIM BUDGET BY $975K

String music program for elementary schools restored for 2005-06

RAHWAY – After a series of meetings between city and Board of Education officials, Mayor James Kennedy announced today that the defeated school budget will be reduced by $975,000 while restoring the popular elementary school string music program that was eliminated by the Board in 2003.

“Thanks to the cooperation of School Superintendent Dr. William Petrino and our citizens’ budget committee, Rahway taxpayers will see a reduction of approximately $43 in school taxes while bringing back a popular music program that was eliminated from the school budget two years ago,” he said.  “There were no cuts made to classroom education or other programs, which is great news for our students.”

Kennedy praised Petrino and Board officials for working collaboratively to find a solution. “I’d like to thank the Board of Education, the City Council and the citzens’ budget committee for crafting a budget that balances the interests of our taxpayers with the needs of our students,” he said.  “The responsibility for educating our children does not stop outside the school grounds.  We all share an obligation to better the education of our young people, and I hope that this budget agreement marks a new era of cooperation between my administration and our public schools.  Healthy schools maintain property values and contribute to the quality of life in a community.”

City and school representatives met yesterday at City Hall and agreed to reduce the school budget’s tax levy from $29,957,793 to $28,982,793.  For the average homeowner in Rahway, the school portion of their tax bill will increase only $148 this year rather than the $192 proposed by the Board of Education last month.  The recommendations made at the meeting will be presented as a resolution to the City Council tomorrow evening at 6:30 pm in City Hall.  If the Council approves the revised school budget resolution at its meeting, it will then be submitted to county education officials.

Rahway voters rejected the school budget on April 19 by a margin of 1,199-903.  Shortly after the vote, Kennedy created a citizens’ budget committee comprised of Rahway teacher Kathy Keene; resident Rich Trocciola; former Board member and current Sixth Ward Councilman Samson Steinman; former Rahway Education Association President Glen Curnow; Board of Education member Bernie Robson; and independent auditors Lerch, Vinci and Higgins of Fair Lawn.  The purpose of the committee was to bring accountability and transparency to the budget process while finding ways to stabilize school taxes without sacrificing classroom education.