To the editor, from MARY ANN KOZACK. Cut excessive school costs before raising taxes.
While everyone has been watching the televised budget debate playing out at City Council meetings, is anyone paying attention to the Brigantine school budget?
At the special Council meeting on Tuesday night, the mayor clearly stated that besides an increase in our municipal tax, he expected an increase in our school taxes as well.
Any increase in school taxes will be on top of the 7 percent municipal tax increase directive given to the manager at that same meeting. Then just wait until you add in the county tax increase. Does everyone on this island have their hand in my pocket?
The city is raising our municipal tax, and now the North School wants to add yet another tax increase for a school system that is overloaded with administrative positions? I say enough is enough.
Our school population has plummeted to approximately 740 students. The proposed school budget continues to include six-figure salaries for a superintendent, two principals, a business administrator and a curriculum coordinator – the same amount of administrators we had when our school population was 1,200 students.
It is past time for the School Board to change this administrative cost burden.
The Brigantine School system needs to take their hand out of my wallet. My wallet is not a bottomless pit, nor a source for unnecessary City salaries. The public cannot and should not be tolerating this.
There will be a Board of School Estimates meeting at 5 p.m. this coming Wednesday, March 27 at City Hall.
I urge all citizens to come out and voice their opposition to another Brigantine school tax increase, without appropriate actions to decrease the unreasonable administrative costs.
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Have to somewhat agree, do you REALLY need two principals in our school system of this size? I think NOT!! One of those should go.
I think in this time of severe financial turmoil. Some painful cuts r definitely necessary. We cannot expect the taxpayers to continually bear such heavy burdens. I don’t want to see anyone lose their jobs. However, why do we need so many teachers and staff for a continually decreasing amount of children attending the schools? Is there another solution? If so what is it?
There is a solution if Principal Marrandino would retire, they could go down to one principal. From everything I have seen and heard he is totally useless and draws a large salary and benefits, but they can’t go down to one and leave him in charge. He has been there over forty years time to pack it in!
On another note the city council does not need to eliminate the three Chief’s positions just to hire retiring chief Stone as the public safety director that councilman Pullella wants to do.