School Budget Hearing, Ridge Traffic Meeting This Week

Two school-related meetings this week address topics that affect thousands of residents — a proposed school budget for 2013-14 and another public input session to help decide a solution for the Ridge High School traffic jams that occur each school morning at the intersection of Lake Road and South Finley Avenue.

The meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday at the municipal building invites the public to ask questions and both on the campus and on the roads heading to the entrance.

The draft of the Ridge Traffic task force report, the result of months of meetings by an ad hoc task force including township and school officials, is online on the Bernards Township website.

The task force members said they will listen to comments before honing in on preferred steps to take — which include adding new driveways or expanding access through the health department; changing traffic flow on the school property and adding access through the municipal complex at 1 Collyer Lane.

Later this week, on Thursday, the Bernards Township Board of Education is scheduled to hold a public hearing at a meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. at Ridge High School's performing arts center.

Schools Superintendent Nick Markarian said the proposed budget keeps all of the district's main programs and staffing, including the nine-period day at full-day kindergarten in the district's four elementary schools and the William Annin Middle School "teams" as well as a nine-period day in that school, as well.

The new school budget does call for the addition of four more special education teachers, including two at the high school, Markarian said.

Although a state aid figure of $3 million for next year can be considered to be fairly solid, an anticipated figure of $1.39 million in anticipated federal funds might change before the budget comes up for a public hearing and final vote on March 28, McLaughlin said when the budget was introduced on March 4.

The high school is located at 268 S. Finley Ave.

Note that both the municipal building and Bernards Township schools will be closed on Friday for the Good Friday holiday.

However, weather permitting, Friday also will be the official opening of the township's Coakley-Russo Memorial Golf Course on Knollcroft Road, off Valley Road in Basking Ridge.

Other meetings this week include:

• The Bernards Township pool commission, 7:30 p.m. on Monday, at the township municipal building at 1 Collyer Lane.

• The Bernards Township Beautification task force at 7 p.m. on Monday, at the township municipal building at 1 Collyer Lane.

• The Bernards Township Planning Board regular meeting at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday at the township municipal building at 1 Collyer Lane.