SPECIAL MEETING OF THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL OF THE BOROUGH OF

KENILWORTH  AND THE BOARD OF EDUCATION HELD ON WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 16, 2005.  MAYOR GREGG DAVID PRESIDED.

ROLL CALL

Roll Call at 7:30 pm showed the following Council Members present:   Carmela Colosimo, Alan Jankunas, Robert Taylor and Edward Galasso.  Councilman Corvelli and Soos were absent.

Roll Call showed the following Board Members present:            Carol Boyden, Claudio Campanella, Annmarie Duda, Mark LoBello, Livio Mancino, and Nancy Zimmerman.  Gerard Laudati, Thomas Mannix, Anthony Pugliese and Fred Viteka were absent.

Also in attendance were Lloyd M. Leschuk, Superintendent and Vincent A. Gonnella, Business Administrator/Board Secretary.

PRESENTATION

“Borough Council FY ’06 School Budget Presentation” presented by Vincent Gonnella.

The Presentation was an overview of the 2006 budget review, enrollment projections and class size, the truths about CHOICE, and highlights of the instructional program.

A brief video was shown on the impact of the S-1701 which provides a short term tax relief and will impact future budgets.

The following were highlighted in the presentation:

·        Expenditures – increases in enrollment, insurance, health benefits, special education costs & out of district placements, employee contracts, utility costs, reduced state aid and the impact of S-1701

·        Expenditures vs. Revenues

·        Administrator’s Budgets – Phase 1, Salaries – Phase II, School Business Administrator’s Supporting Documentation – Phase III

·        Discretionary Accounts – controlled cost by the Board, Non Discretionary Accounts – no controlled cost by the Board

·        Program Cost Analysis

o       Insurance/Benefits            13.5 %

o       Harding                        22.1 %

o       Brearley                        28.9 %

o       Special Education            20.0 %

o       Athletics                        3.9 %

o       Undistributed Cost            11.16 %

·        Major Budget increases totaling $1,221,575

·        Preliminary Tax Rate increase of 5.83 %

·        Enrollment Projection increase of 5.28 % and it’s impact on Class Size

PRESENTATION (CONT)

·        New Staff & Budget Impact

o       Harding School –

Change in Regular Education Staff:            (0.50)

o       David Brearley Middle/High School

Change in Regular Education Staff:            2.70

o       Special Education Staff

Change in Special Education:             1.50

·        Dr. Leschuk highlighted the CHOICE/Send Received Programs.

·        Important dates to remember

o       March 23, 2005: Annual Public Budget Hearing – David Brearley Auditorium 7:30 pm.

o       April 12, 2005: Last day to apply for an Absentee Ballot

o       April 14, 2005: PTO “Meeting the Candidates Night” – Warren Harding Auditorium 7:30 pm.

Other matters of discussion:

·        Suggestions to sell the budget to the voters.

·        Future Plans for TV 36.

·        A contest at Brearley to create a Kenilworth Flag.

·        The School web page possibly providing a link to the Kenilworth web page.

·        School surplus.

·        Mr. Mancino received dates for the Soccer Team to use County Parks.  He also mentioned there was a possibility of getting back funds from the Dissolution of Assets Settlement.

·        Centralizing the Summer Parks Program to the School.

·        The impact of the School, County and Local Budgets on Borough taxes.

MEETING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

No one desiring to be heard.  Mayor David thanked the Board for coming.

ADJOURNMENT

Meeting adjourned at approximately 9:25 pm.

Respectfully submitted,

                                                                                                Hedy Lipke

                                                                                                Borough Clerk