Principal members of the Haddonfield School District administrative team assembled on June 2 and began figuring out how to compensate for an expected significant reduction in state aid for the upcoming school year.
According to Assistant Superintendent Chuck Klaus, there were approximately 20 people involved in the meeting, including himself; Superintendent Larry Mussoline; principals of all five district schools; members of the business office and security; Director of Facilities Tim McFerren; District Anti-Bullying Coordinator Sandy Horwitz; Director of Special Education Gino Priolo; Chief Academic Officer Colleen Murray; Athletic and Transportation Director Lefty Banos and all assistant principals.
The genesis of the session arose when Klaus informed the board of education and members of the public who observed an online meeting on May 28 that the district would face a deficit of nearly $200,000 in funds from Trenton due to factors related to the pandemic.
“We might have had a state aid reduction as high as $265,000 for next year, but we found out at 5 p.m. (just prior to the meeting) that the actual number is a reduction of about $180,000,” Klaus said at that time.
“At this meeting, everything’s on the table, but we’re going to find that money the best we can. We’re going to have to be agile in figuring out what we’re going to have to do.”
According to Assistant Business Administrator Michael Catalano at the May 28 board of education meeting, if the $180,000 figure is accurate, the total state aid amount for the district would be decreased to $1.769 million for the 2020-’21 academic year.
But Catalano noted the total amount of aid arriving from Trenton will ultimately be more than the previous year.
Klaus added that the subsequent meeting among all concerned personnel would not provide a definitive answer, but was more along the lines of what he termed “putting together an organizational process.”
“We’re still in the early planning mode in looking at this. Our goal is to preserve programs and personnel. We don’t want to lose students and lose any staff,” Klaus told the Sun on June 4.
“We told everyone involved to go out, look at the budget and find places you can cut without making huge dents.”
All the necessary information was to be provided to Klaus by Tuesday, June 9.
“What will happen is, I’ll be working with Mike Catalano, and we’ll review their findings to assess where cuts can be made, then send it back to them with further suggestions,” Klaus continued.
“We have a finance meeting later in June and we’ll go to the finance committee with our recommendations.”
Klaus warned that looking farther than each individual step in assessing the district’s needs may lead to some tension.
“It’s going to be a frustrating process to look forward to September,” he said. “We’re still awaiting guidance. We’re not making plans so much as putting together a process, so that when we have to jump, we will know how high.
“That $180,000 is not a small amount. We’re not going to make up that amount by doing simple things like not buying paper.”
