Schools

School Budget Vote, Ridge Traffic Update Likely at Thursday meeting

Bernards Township Board of Education due to meet at 7 p.m. on Thursday night.

Along with a public hearing and a vote for final adoption on a proposed $94.2-million school budget for next year, Thursday night's Bernards Board of Education meeting is likely to include an update on the Ridge Traffic task force and Monday's public meeting to accept input on task force's report, the school board president said.

The meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. at the Performing Arts Center at Ridge High School.

The task force on Monday outlined about a dozen options for alleviating morning traffic snarls at the high school. School Board President Susan McGowan, a member of the task force, said she expects a report on the meeting and a progress report on the task force to be presented to the full school board on Thursday night.

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Earlier this month, the school board introduced a proposal for $94.2 million to finance the township's six schools in 2013-14, of which taxpayers would fund $77.4 million, with a 1.54 percent overall increase, according to the school's figures.

The tentative general fund budget figure for next year is $86,949,699, up from $86,181,957 in 2012-13, according to the school's figures. The total budget for the 2012-13 school year, including debt payments, is $93.26 million, according to school figures released last year.

Find out what's happening in Basking Ridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Schools Superintendent Nick Markarian said then that 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.


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