Galloway School District Recognizes Need to Get Information Out as it Approves March 13 Referendum

will once again bring a referendum before voters March 13, and this time, it's hoping for a different result.

The Board of Education voted at their meeting on Monday night, Jan. 30, to bring a vote before the township’s voters concerning roof replacement at , and elementary schools, fire alarm replacement for Smithville, Roland Rogers and , and drainage system and parking lot improvements for Arthur Rann.

It’s a referendum that was defeated by on Dec. 13, and Superintendent of Schools Annette Giaquinto felt the narrow margin of defeat was enough to warrant going back to the voters for another vote.

“After the December election, people came up to us with comments, and we were able to get a better handle on why it was defeated,” Giaquinto said. “One of the things we heard is ‘Why are we doing more than one school?’ Unless you were around at the time, you don’t know that two of the schools opened the same year, so naturally, they would have to undergo improvements at the same time.”

It’s this kind of misconception the school district hopes to clarify with the Superintendent’s new Advisory Team, which will meet for the first time on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 7 p.m. at the library.

“So far, 15 people have responded,” Giaquinto said, referring to the call out for volunteers to join the team.

The goal was for the team to be made up of:

* two parents/guardians from each elementary school and the middle school for a total of 10;

* one parent/guardian from the preschool;

* five members from the community-at-large;

* two representatives from Galloway Township Council;

* two representatives from business/nonprofit community groups;

* two Board of Education members;

* thee GTEA members;

* two GTPSA members;

* one central office staff member (not part of the GTEA or GTPSA); and

* two middle school students.

Those interested in joining the team should contact Marie Thomas at 609-748-1250, ext. 1016 or email her at thomasm@gtps.k12.nj.us.
While Giaquinto wants to keep the number of people involved limited, she knows that each person on the team will tell their friends about all that is happening in the school district, and resident Richard Price illustrated this point when he spoke during Monday night’s public comment portion.

“I have 37 relatives who didn’t understand the 2 percent cap,” Price said. “I didn’t understand it before tonight, but now I understand it and I can explain it to them.”

The misconception is that the 2 percent tax actually applies to the tax levy, which is only the portion of the budget that is paid for by the taxpayers. Half the budget is made up of taxpayers’ money and money from the state.

The example Board of Education President Ernest Huggard used is that a $50 million budget would be split 50-50 between the state and the taxpayers, and only the $25 million paid for by the taxpayers is affected by the 2 percent cap, whereas many voters believe the entire budget falls under that cap.

Other misconceptions board members wished to clarify included the fact that the school district is not allowed to put money away like a municipality is, so when the district has any money left over from the previous year, it is applied to the next year’s budget and 85 percent of the school’s budget is mandated by the federal and state governments.

In addition to the advisory team, the school board would like to see more participation from the public. On Monday night, members from the public were in attendance, and in addition to Price, Jim McElwee asked a question during the public participation period.

That’s a rarity for school board meetings, but the members of the school board and those who care about schools alike hope that reality is coming to an end.

The cost of the project is not to exceed $ 6,982,500 (of which $0 represents eligible costs, as determined by the Commissioner of Education), according to the language of the resolution passed Monday night.

Should the referendum fail on March 13, Giaquinto said the school board would have to regroup and decide its next step. Unlike the regular school budgets, the law doesn’t provide for referendums to go before township council for consideration.

These projects also don’t fall under the provisions of a regular budget.