Hillsborough schools in 'financial shackles', facing 'draconian cuts'

HILLSBOROUGH – Because of a $2.7 million cut in state aid, the Board of Education on Monday approved a $145.6 million budget that called for several cuts, including the elimination of middle school sports.

But Superintendent of Schools Michael Volpe said that the school board can revisit the budget if pending state legislation to restore two-thirds of the budget cuts is approved.

"Stay tuned," Volpe said during the public presentation of the budget, adding that though "it doesn't look good," he "may be telling you a different thing" at the next board meeting on May 13.

The superintendent said he was hopeful that legislation sponsored by Assemblyman Roy Freiman, D-Hillsborough, will pass, restoring two-thirds of the state aid cut.

Volpe thanked Freiman for his efforts.

"He's done a lot for us," the superintendent said, adding that he was "pretty sure that we're getting some money."

Though the gross amount of money to be raised by local property taxes will rise 2%, the maximum allowed by the state's cap law, the tax rate in both Hillsborough and Millstone will be going down.

Because the total value of property in Hillsborough has risen by $746 million, the tax rate in the township will decrease about 4 cents per $100 of assessed value, from $1.3907 to $1.3492, a little less than 3%.

In Millstone, where the ratable base increased by $3.75 million, the tax rate will decline from .9042 per $100 of assessed value to .8608, a 4.7% decrease.

More: Bill to help school districts with state aid cuts passes state Assembly

In the years since the state changed its school aid funding formula, Somerset County school districts have received $106 million in state aid, while Hillsborough has lost $7 million.

"There's no way around a $7 million hole," Volpe said. "You have to make it up somewhere."

Hillsborough was originally going to budget for a $243,000 state aid cut for the 2024-25 school year, but Volpe increased it to $400,000. But the final number was "1,000%" more, he said.

Volpe said the district was caught in "financial shackles" that causes "devastation" and prompts "draconian cuts."

"It's very strange, Hillsborough," he said. "We're in unprecedented times in the State of New Jersey when it comes to state aid."

If the legislation passes and some of the state aid is restored, the district will dedicate the money to staffing, he said.

To balance the budget, Volpe prosed cutting three staffing positions, not filling four vacancies created by retirements and not filling positions created in a referendum.

In addition, the superintendent called for the elimination of the Middle School sports programs, switch to Chromebooks for staffers, eliminating a few clubs at the Middle School and High School and eliminating extra services performed by staffers, including before school library hours at the High School.

Only one person, Hillsborough Education Association president Henry Goodhue, spoke at the budget's public hearing.

Goodhue, who thanked the district for taking a collaborative approach with stakeholders in the budget process, said cutting Middle School sports was a "bitter pill" because it teaches "good citizenship."

He said the cost of the sports program, about $120,000, was nominal compared to the rest of the budget and savings could be found elsewhere.

Mike Deak is a reporter for mycentraljersey.com. To get unlimited access to his articles on Somerset and Hunterdon counties, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Hillsborough schools in 'financial shackles', facing 'draconian cuts'