Public Hearing for Proposed 2011-12 School Budget Set for 7 p.m. on Monday

The Board of Education is scheduled to hold its official public hearing on a proposed $82.4-million school budget for 2011-12 at a meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. in the auditorium at the on West Oak Street in downtown Basking Ridge.

Following the public hearing, the school board is expected to vote on whether to adopt the budget proposal. The amount of money within that budget to be raised through local tax dollars is the figure that would be printed on the ballot for the April 27 school election.

According to the meeting agenda, the budget figures are going to be presented by Susan Carlsson, president of the Board of Education. The offiial procedure for adopting a proposed school budget allow the school board to make changes until the board actually votes on whether to adopt.

The Board of Education already has held two informal budget presentations, at meetings held on and During those presentations, board members discussed their intention to allocate the increase in state aid that in February had been announced by Gov. Chris Christie to take care of previously put-off maintenance and repair projects throughout the district. That work included proposed roof repairs.

Under Gov. Chris Christie's budget, it was on Feb. 23 announced that Bernards schools will receive next year $1,625,312 not targeted for a specific account —an increase of $777,421 from the 2010-11 allotment of $847,891.

Some members of the public on both evenings asked why the extra funds couldn't be used to preserved the nine-period day at Ridge High School. The schedule now is slated to be reduced to eight periods next fall, resulting in a reduction of staff that would save the district an anticipated $360,000 in teachers' salaries for next year. That savings would increase to $500,000 once the district no longer must pay unemployment benefits, Schools Superintendent Valerie Goger said at the March 14 meeting.

Goger sent an email to district parents last Friday that school officials are supporting an eight-day period at the high school.

The school district's a meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday to discuss the proposed change.