Westwood Regional Board of Education

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Westwood Regional Board of Education
2008-2009 Budget Presentation
Geoffrey W. Zoeller, Jr. Superintendent of
Schools Keith A. Rosado Business
Administrator March 27, 2008
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Westwood Regional Mission Statement

To provide excellence in education through rich
and diverse learning opportunities, enabling
students to exercise intelligent control of their
future.
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Board of Education
Eileen Mosolino (WW) - President Charles Koch
(WT) -Vice President Donna Firriolo - (WW)
Barbara Gregory - (WT) Roberta Hanlon -
(WW) Bernadette Koski - (WT) Paul Liddy -
(WT) Carol Mountain - (WW) Lee-Ann Schaadt -
(WW) Geoffrey W. Zoeller, Jr. - Superintendent
of Schools Keith A. Rosado - Business
Administrator
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Where can I get more information?
Visit us at www.wwrsd.org for a copy of the
Budget Presentation and for additional
information. The Budget Book will be available
at the following locations Board of
Education Office at 701 Ridgewood Rd, Twp. of
Washington Westwood Public Library
Twp. of Washington Public Library Westwood
Borough Hall Twp. of Washington Town
Hall

Important Budget Dates

• April 4th - WCTV Budget Presentation (800 P. M.)
• April 7th - Cardinal Connection special Budget
  Edition
• April 7th - Board of Education Candidates Night -
  700 P.M. Hurley Theatre
• April 15th - BOE Elections and Budget Vote - 200
  - 900 P.M.
• E-mail the Superintendent for more information at
  gzoeller_at_wwrsd.org

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Facility Upgrades 2007-08
Jr./Sr. High School - Reclaimed Office and
Conference Room Space 9,450 - Locker
Replacements in Team Room 2,200 - Stairwell
Project 7,350 - Tree Maintenance
1,700 Brookside - Interior Painting 2,000 -
Carpet Removal and Tile Installation 113,000
Berkeley - Removal of Trees 2,110 George -
Playground Upgrade 6,200 Ketler - Built Custom
Stair System for Football Field 500 Washington
- Rescreened torn window screens 900
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The 2008-09 Budget Continues to Support

• Elementary/Upper Elementary Schools
• Writing workshop in every building
• Instrumental music starting in grade 4
• Accelerated math starting in grade 6
• Wireless laptop carts and Smart Room
  technologies
• Gifted and Talented programs
• Guidance counselor for grades 5-6
• Increased Physical Education for grades K-6
• Reintroduced French in grades 5-6

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The 2008-09 Budget Continues to Support

• Jr./Sr. High School
• Electives additional Honors/Accelerated classes
  for grades 7-8
• Nearly 200 semester or full-year courses offered
  in grades 9-12
• 11 Advanced Placement courses for grades 9-12
• 19 Honors courses in various academic subjects
  for grades 9-12
• 2 modern languages offered for grades 7-12
• Excellent student-guidance counselor ratio for
  grades 7-12
• 14 clubs and organizations for grades 7-8
• 15 intramural and interscholastic teams for
  grades 7-8
• 36 clubs and organizations for grades 9-12
• 40 athletic teams for grades 9-12

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Grade Clusters for 2005-06 MATHEMATICS State
AssessmentsTOTAL STUDENTS Scoring Proficient and
Advanced Proficient
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Grade Clusters for 2005-06 LANGUAGE ARTS LITERACY
State AssessmentsTOTAL STUDENTS Scoring
Proficient and Advanced Proficient
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College Admissions at Competitive SchoolsClass
of 2007
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Major External Budget Factors

• Special Education
• Out of District Tuition
• Rising Costs
• Transportation
• State Aid
• 6.77 State Aid
• Cuts in Special Ed Funding
• New formula provides no relief to Bergen County
• Utilities
• Estimate 15 increase for gas and electric
• Estimate 10 increase for water
• Insurance
• Estimate 10 increase for general liability and
• student accident insurance
• Estimate 15 increase for workers comp

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Budgeted Revenue
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Westwood Regional Board of Education Budgeted
Revenues 2008/2009
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Westwood Regional School Districts State Aid
Historical Analysis
The State Aid for the 2008-09 school year now
includes Extraordinary Aid. The amount of this
aid equates to 289,871 plus the 2 increase in
state aid of 61,366 accounts for the difference.
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Budgeted Appropriations
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Westwood Regional Board of Education Budget
Appropriations 2008/2009
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Special Education Students Sent To Out of
District Placements
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Health Benefits Costs
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Major Appropriation Increases/Decreases
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Budget Impact For Average Home 2008-09
Borough of Westwood 17.39 / Month Township
of Washington 15.65 / Month This is based on
an average home assessed for Borough of Westwood
of 395,691 Township of Washington of
548,000 Boro of Westwood percentage is 49.31
(up from 48.84) Twp. of Washington percentage
is 50.69 (down from 51.16)
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Tax Levy Allocation History
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Proposed Tax Rateper 100,000 Assessed Value
2008-09 2007-08 Boro of
Westwood 123.20 117.94 Twp. of
Washington 107.96 104.65
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Second Question The New Basics Preparing the
21st Century Student

• School Library/Media Specialist (2)
• World Language Teacher (1)
• Art Teacher (1)
• Music Teacher (1)

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The New Basics Preparing the 21st Century Student

• 21st Century Jobs
• Some of todays jobs did not exist 10 years ago.
  What new jobs will there be in 2018?
• Why School Library/Media Specialist?
• Direct instruction in technology
• A building based instructional leader who will
  help our students access, evaluate, and create
  new information.

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The New Basics Preparing the 21st Century Student

• Why World Language?
• The world we live in has become a whole lot
  smaller.
• Research has shown
• Children who have studied a foreign language in
  the elementary grades achieve higher scores on
  standardized testing.
• Learning a second language also improves
  children's understanding of their native
  language.
• Children who study a foreign language show
  greater cognitive development than many of their
  peers.
• Young children learn languages with great
  enthusiasm.
• Why Art and Music?
• Research has shown
• Children involved in arts and music achieve
  higher scores on standardized testing.
• The arts reach students who are not otherwise
  being reached.
• Self-esteem improves.
• The arts provide new challenges for those
  students already considered successful.
• The arts connect learning experiences to the
  world of real work.

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Full Day Kindergarten

• Nearly 70 of Bergen County districts already
  have full day kindergarten
• Presently we are piloting two sections
• Expand full day to every school
• Still keep extended day option

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2008-09 Increase On Average Home For Second
Question
Borough of Westwood 2.74 / Month Township of
Washington 3.33 / Month This is based on an
average home assessed for Borough of Westwood of
395,691 Township of Washington of
548,000 Boro of Westwood percentage is 49.31
Twp. of Washington percentage is 50.69
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The Bottom Line

• The Proposed Budget calls for
• A 3.65 increase in the operating budget
• A 3.95 overall increase (including the December
  11th
• Debt Service)
• All existing programs and services will be
  maintained
• The 2nd Question will increase the budget by
  0.62
• Enhancement of all elementary programs
• Further expansion of the Full-Day Kindergarten
  Model
• The second question is subject to the Super
  Majority law, which requires 60 affirmation of
  the voters.

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Q A
Remember to Vote - April 15th 200 P.M. - 900
P.M.