BREAKING NEWS
School times stay the same
BY MARK ROSMAN
Staff Writer


FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP -- The Board of Education announced at its Feb. 27 meeting that school times will remain the same in the 2007-08 school year.

That is a complete turnaround from a plan school administrators put forth a month ago and one that drew a large crowd of parents to a Feb. 13 meeting to ask the board not to change the established start and end times for the district's schools.

Administrators explained on Feb. 27 that a change in the way the state has decided to permit the board to draw up its budget is the reason why they will be able to keep the same busing schedule and class schedule.

District administrators said they were advised of the change in the state's budgeting philosophy at a meeting with state education officials on Feb. 23.

Boyce and Superintendent of Schools William Setaro explained the change in the state's budget philosophy as follows: As recently as two weeks ago (Feb. 13), school administrators were being told there would be a state imposed spending cap on the total amount of their budget.

On Feb. 23, they were informed the new cap is not on what they can spend, but on the amount of property taxes that can be raised.
Boyce and Setaro said that subtle change provides some budget flexibility that will make it possible for Freehold Township schools to keep the same bus schedule and class schedule in place, at least for the 2007-08 school year.

For the full story about the board's decision, see the March 7, 2007 edition of the News Transcript.