Mahwah May 19, 2010 THE VILLADOM TIMES IV • Page 11 School district faces financial difficulties on two fronts by Frank J. McMahon The Mahwah school district is facing financial difficulties on two fronts, and more experienced teachers have decided to retire from the district. One set of financial difficulties the district faces involves the school budget for 2010-11, which was defeated at the polls. A subcommittee of the board of education consisting of John Dolan, Kenneth Angelo, Douglas D’Angelo, Charles Saldarini, and Board President Patricia Shada has been meeting with a three-member panel of the Mahwah Township Committee consisting of Council President John DaPuzzo, and Councilmen John Roth and Harry Williams, to determine what modifications should be made to the budget. Those modifications could have some impact on the teaching staff and the district’s programs, including some sports. The outsourcing of the paraprofessional teaching positions is being considered as a cost reduction method, according to Superintendent Charles Montesano. “As far as the impact of outsourcing paraprofessionals on the quality of service, I do think it’s possible something will be lost,” Montesano said. “However, given the loss of $2.7 million in state aid and a budget that is less than the current budget, we have to find savings where we can, and we are committed to not cutting educational programs, so something has to give.” Montesano also indicated that middle school sports and clubs could be impacted by further budget reductions. “When we held public budget meetings, we had at one point in the process eliminated middle school sports and clubs,” Montesano explained. “They were put back in later in the process when the budget was finalized, but the school board was clear that the last items to be put back into the budget would be the first to be cut should the budget be defeated. Nothing will be decided, however, until we meet with the council. But cutting those activities will surely be on the table.” The second financial issue facing the district involves the current negotiations with the Mahwah Education Association, which represents the teaching staff and others in the district. The MEA has declared an impasse in their contract negotiations with the school board. The current contract will expire on June 30. That impasse will prevent the school board from discussing ways to reduce costs with the teachers’ union to avoid the outsourcing of paraprofessionals. “If we can’t have that conversation then we will have no other alternative, unless some other type of savings can be achieved,” Montesano told the residents and paraprofessionals who attended a recent school board meeting. The primary issues with the MEA are salary and benefits, according to Montesano, who advised that the MEA declared impasse at the third meeting with the school board. He said they were later asked about their willingness to accept a salary freeze when Governor Chris Christie proposed the freeze statewide, but he said the MEA has not agreed to the freeze. The paraprofessional positions were just reduced to part-time positions as a result of the loss of state aid this year in order to save the school district the expense of providing the paraprofessionals with health benefits. Edward Deptula, the school district’s business administrator, emphasized that although the MEA has declared an impasse, that does not preclude discussions on other issues, and the district is exploring as many cost savings options as possible. The school board also recently approved the resignations of five teachers and one high school secretary, which Montesano said causes him serious concern. “I am concerned that we are losing (a total of) 171 years of teaching experience, which is not good,” Montesano said. “We are saving money, but it takes eight years to become a master teacher and they are going to be missed. “This is a troubling time. Public education is undergoing a change. In three to five years, I don’t know if the quality of education will be the same. We need to understand that a continuing reduction in resources for schools will eventually lessen the quality.” ���������������� 60th Anniversary Spring Concert Sunday May23, 2010 at 5:00 PM Benjamin Franklin Middle School 335 Van Dien Ave. Ridgewood, NJ Tickets: $20.00 201-652-9653 33 Chestnut St. Ridgewood, NJ www.fokineballet.com 5-19-10 Janine IreneFokineSpringColor2x5(5-19-10) 2 x 5” Rev2 ��������������������������� ������������������������������������������ ���������������� The Villadom TIMES will be publishing a special supplement on June 9 honoring West Bergen Center for Children & Youth and its ongoing services to meet the needs of mentally ill children in our community. By including your advertisement in this special section, you will reach over 140,000 residents in 12 Bergen County towns – while helping to promote West Bergen Center for Children & Youth’s services. For more information or to reserve your space, call Ester or your Villadom TIMES representative at 201-652-0744; email ester@villadom.com. YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD NEWSPAPER ����������������������������������������� Reservation Deadline: Friday, May 28