CRANBURY: Suggestions for balancing school budget debated

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CRANBURY — As the school district faces a shortfall of about $500,000, a 2 percent tax levy cap, cuts in state funding, increased pension liabilities and increases in health-care costs, the Board of Education looked to the public for ideas for how to reduce the school budget.

On Tuesday, despite the oncoming snowstorm, about 30 Cranbury taxpayers gathered in the large group room for Cranbury School’s “first ever pre-hearing hearing” on next year’s school budget, said Lynne Schwarz, board president.

School officials have said everything the school has to offer is on the table when it comes to finding ways to reduce the budget.

Suggestions from those attending the hearing ranged from ignoring the 2 percent cap to paying for extracurricular activities to asking for volunteer tutors to asking owners of the many warehouses in the township to kick in financially.

http://www.centraljersey.com/articles/2011/01/14/cranbury_press/news/doc4d2f5506dca4e161409764.txt

[Guest]

pre-hearing hearing???
Is that like a pre-heated oven?
The oven is either ON or OFF!

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What is the next step? When will we see the Board's take on the budget?

[guest55]

I thought it was a good idea to solicit input. Otherwise you get everyone complaining after the fact. Though of course they will anyway...

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One ideas to save the school money...

Eliminate french. No disrepecrt to the french teacher- she may be wonderful, for all I know. However, french is a dying language around the world and is spoken by less than .5% of americans (and shrinking). When we have money for two language teachers, we should double-up on spanish, or add chinese, but IMO teaching french is counter-productive and a luxury we cannot afford.

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The French hardly ever support our Country or it's policies. Get rid of everything french I say. Freedom fries are much tastier than French fries.

[Guest]

They should start teaching Mandarin. Many charter schools do intensely and it will be much more useful in their adult lives.

[Guest]

If we're looking at positions that could be eliminated (and sadly, french teacher is one of them), why not consider eliminating the position of "school librarian" and contracting with the Cranbury Library to provide this service to the school?

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What about the school play? While it is a lot of fun, it is not central to a good education. I understand that it is a fairly expensive extra-cirricular....

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