Cherry Hill residents express fear on budget cuts

One after another they went to the microphone.

Whether they were offering a tip on how the district might cut its electricity bills or lobbying for their particular sport or club, those who spoke at the school board meeting in Cherry Hill last night continually took aim at Gov. Christie's cuts in state education aid.

"It's heartbreaking," said Linda Siracusa, a parent gathering signatures outside for a petition. "I feel like Gov. Christie is stealing the futures of our children."

One day after school officials across the state expressed shock at cuts in state aid that were far deeper than what they had expected, Cherry Hill residents turned out to hear the school board approve a preliminary budget.

While most districts were waiting until Monday - the state deadline - school officials in Cherry Hill set out yesterday morning to bring their budget in line with the new aid numbers and by 4 p.m. had knocked an additional $6.1 million off the budget.

The fears of many - cuts to sports and the arts, larger teacher layoffs - were largely averted as school officials laid out a plan to delay maintenance and reduce raises and quickly negotiated a deal for a $1.7 million credit from their health insurer. But the plan also calls for a 4 percent increase in the tax levy.

"Trying to put all this information into semblance before 6 p.m., we just hope the numbers are right," said Jim Devereaux, assistant superintendent of business.

The $165.7 million budget calls for 105 layoffs, 15 more than initially estimated but not as many as had been feared when the news first came that Cherry Hill's state aid had been cut in half to $7.9 million.

But for teachers, who are a year into contract negotiations with the district, the news was hardly comforting.

"It's a very unsettling climate to teach in," said Linda Heath, a high school math teacher. "It's going to be the younger teachers that are going to hurt."

Two days after Christie announced he would cut education aid by $819 million, the state's educators continued to reel.

At a news conference in Trenton yesterday, Marie S. Bilik, executive director of the New Jersey School Boards Association, said the "tools" that Christie had proposed - changes in the pension system and union negotiations - would have long-term benefits but would not help districts next school year.

The group is calling for the state teachers unions to agree to a salary freeze and begin contributing 1.5 percent of their health-care costs, now fully funded by the school districts.

In the case of Cherry Hill, much of the budget reduction for next school year came in the form of onetime measures that would not provide long-term cost solutions.

Cherry Hill district spokeswoman Susan Bastnagel said principals had already been told to start looking for ways to cut spending permanently.

And there is still uncertainty whether the 4 percent increase in the tax levy would be approved by voters April 20 and whether there aren't still-unrealized cuts in the state's complex funding formula.

"Before this process is over, I fear there's more to come," Devereaux said. "You have to wonder how many more years Cherry Hill will get state aid."