Hoboken Board of Education- May 11, 2021 Detailed Agenda

The following is the detailed agenda for the May 11, 2021 Hoboken Board of Education Meeting. If one looks at the posted agenda below, the assumption would be that the meeting will occur at 7PM in the Demarest Auditorium on May 11th. 

Update: Link to the Meeting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndTwDkZqGp4

Among items of interest is the lack of specificity in the naming of appointments such as: 

9.09 Approval of Appointment of Non-Tenured Certified Administrators and Principals for the 2021-2022 School Year

9.10 Approval of Appointment of all Non-Tenured Certificated Hoboken Education Association Employees for the 2021-2022 School Year

9.11 Approval of Tenured Non-Certified HEA Staff for the 2021-2022 School Year

And it appears that there is a contract agreement with the teachers that lacks any specificity or posting of details: 

9.17 Approval of Memorandum of Agreement Between The Hoboken Board of Education and Hoboken School Employees Association

And the new budget will be voted upon... (see text below)

Also....Hopefully, there will be some discussion of the 1800% gap between the increased enrollment projections for the 2020-21 school year (296 students) and the actual 2020-21 enrollment increase (under 16 students). Read more about that HERE. 

HBOE Detailed Agenda May 2021 by Tony Petrosino on Scribd

 

Subject

 

10.12 Approval of the 2021/2022 Budget

Meeting

May 11, 2021 - AGENDA

 RESOLVED that, upon the recommendation of the Superintendent and the Business Administrator, the Board of Education approves the 2021-2022 school district budget.  The budget includes sufficient funds to provide curriculum and instruction which will enable all students to achieve the New Jersey student learning standards and is in compliance with N.J.S.A. 18A and N.J.A.C. Title 6 and 6A; and

BE IT RESOLVED, the Board adopts the following proposed budget for the 2021-2022 school year:
 

	General Fund		Special Revenue		Debt Service		Total
2021-22 Total Appropriations	$	66,532,441	$	21,260,632	$	-	$	87,793,073
Less: Anticipated Revenues		12,356,130		21,260,632		-		33,616,762
Taxes to be raised	$	54,176,311	$	-	$	-	$	54,176,311

 

APPROPRIATIONS
GENERAL FUND
General Fund-Current Expense	$	54,356,545
General Fund-Capital Outlay		897,650
General Fund-Special Schools		280,980
General Fund-Charter Schools		10,997,266
TOTAL GENERAL FUND	$	66,532,441
SPECIAL REVENUE FUND	$	21,260,632
Transfer to Preschool from Local Funds		(344,820)
TOTAL APPROPRIATIONS	$	87,448,253
REVENUES
GENERAL FUND
Budgeted Fund Balance	$	2,273,942
Tuition from Individuals		0
Miscellaneous Local Revenues		1,358,621
State Aid		8,521,282
Federal Aid (SEMI & Impact Aid)		202,285
Local Tax Levy		54,176,311
TOTAL GENERAL FUND	$	66,532,441
SPECIAL REVENUE FUND
Local Sources	$	109,792
State Sources		16,337,042
Federal Sources		4,468,978
TOTAL SPECIAL REVENUE FUND	$	20,915,812
TOTAL REVENUES	$	87,448,253

 

WHEREAS, in addition to the New Jersey student learning standards adopted by the State of New Jersey, Hoboken Public Schools, as a former Abbott district and by current regulations, is required to offer various programs not required of other New Jersey school districts which will not be deferred or incrementally completed over a longer period of time;

WHEREAS School district policy and N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-7.1-7.3 et seq. provides that the board of education shall establish in the annual school budget a maximum expenditure amount that may be allotted for such travel and expense reimbursement and the 2021-2022 budget includes a maximum travel appropriation of $80,000; now

 

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the School Business Administrator shall track and record these costs to insure that the maximum amount is not exceeded; and

 

WHEREAS N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-5.2(1), the proposed budget provides for a maximum expenditure amount that is annually established for each type of professional service including public relations, with appropriate notification to the Board of Education if it becomes necessary to exceed the maximum; now

 

THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED upon such notification, the Board of Education may adopt a dollar increase to the maximum amount through board action.

The Pulse with Peter B Focuses on Hoboken Enrollment Numbers and Budgetary Impact

Note: In May of 2020 in the middle of the COVID pandemic and record unemployment, the Hoboken Board of Education raised the local tax levy 9.95% based on projections of enrollment gains in the neighborhood of 300 students. Documentation shows student enrollment in the district during the 2019-20 school year was 3156 (see Table 1). Projections predicted enrollment of approximately 3456 for 2020-21. New Jersey Department of Education's ASSA report indicates actual enrollment for 2020-21 to be closer to 3160 (see Table 2). Far short of the 296 projected increase. This error in enrollment projections has resulted in approximately $3.7 to $3.8 million additional dollars collected from Hoboken taxpayers. 

Hudson Reporter- By Marilyn Baer, Staff Write May 20, 2020

                                                                  Click Image to Enlarge 

The Pulse with Peter B is a local news and entertainment show hosted by Peter Biancamano centering on food, politics, and sports. On May 2, 2021 the show focused its political segment on enrollment numbers at the Hoboken Board of Education. The segment offers a number of insights and revealations and is highly recommended. For those who may not recall, Mr. Biancamano was also a Hoboken Board of Education trustee for a number of years so has special expertise and perspective. In this segment, Biancamano is joined by friend and political commentator Joshua Sotomayor Einstein. Between the laughs and the good natured humor- there are clearly some issues they reveal concerning the 10% tax levy increase from May 2020. 

 

Table 1: Enrollment for the 2019-20 School Year 
Hoboken School District 

Table 2: Enrollment for the 2020-21 School Year 
Hoboken School District 

From comparing last year (Table 1) and this year’s (Table 2) enrollment reports we find: 

There was a REDUCTION of 31 PreK3 and PreK4 students (936 last academic year compared to 905 this academic year) 

There was an INCREASE of 60 students in K-8 (non-special education). 1865 students last year compared to 1925 students this year. 

There was NO CHANGE in enrollment in the high school (grades 9, 10, 11, and 12). 375 each year (which includes over 147 “CHOICE” students from out of Hoboken). 

There was a REDUCTION of 13 special eduction students across elementary, middle and high school. 326 last year compared to 313 this year. 

There is roughly an enrollment increase of 16 students for 2020-21 over last year. This is statistically insignificant and is within the normal variance of any given successive years plus or minus. In other words, for all intents and purposes “no change in enrollment) ESPECIALLY since CHOICE students went from 147.7 last year to 165 this year. A difference of 17.5 students. Remember, the district RECEIVES money for CHOICE students (!). 

More importantly, this extra 7.95% tax levy amounts to roughly $3,834,000 dollars for about 16 students (!). 

Even more importantly, this $3,834,000 is now “baked into” the Hoboken tax levy. So, for this coming budget year, the $3,834,000 is already in AND an extra 2% (which seems to be how much the Hoboken budget will increase this year). What does this mean? Well, over a 10 year period, the people of Hoboken are looking at paying an ADDITIONAL $51,421,952 for education based on a false narrative in the spring of 2020 of “increasing enrollment” — it is a price that will be paid every year. 

* in millions of dollars 

	WITH 7.95% INCREASE*	WITHOUT 7.95% INCREASE*	DIFF*
2019	48.3	48.3
2020	53.1	49.266	3.834
2021	54.162	50.25132	3.91068
2022	55.24524	51.2563464	3.9888936
2023	56.3501448	52.2814733	4.06867147
2024	57.4771477	53.3271028	4.1500449
2025	58.6266906	54.3936449	4.2330458
2026	59.7992245	55.4815177	4.31770672
2027	60.995209	56.5911481	4.40406085
2028	62.2151131	57.7229711	4.49214207
2029	63.4594154	58.8774305	4.58198491
2030	64.7286037	60.0549791	4.67362461
2031	66.0231758	61.2560787	4.7670971
			$51,420,000

11Months Ago...Looking Back on the Hoboken Board of Education's 10% Tax Levy Increase During the COVID Pandemic

As the Hoboken Board of Education finalizeds their budget for the 2021-22 school year, it might be a good time to look back 11 months to when the Board increased the local tax levy by 9.95% or nearly $4,700,000. 

Recall that in May of 2020, in the middle of a national and global pandemic and incredible economic pressure, the Hoboken School District implemented an additional 7.95 percent tax levy on top of the 2% allowance by the NJ Department of Education. This 7.95% increase was was calculated by the state as an enrollment adjustment waiver due to an increase in enrollment of an expected 296 students for the 2020-21 school year.

To be clear, the Hoboken School District informed the state that they had high confidence that enrollment in the district would increase by 295 students. Such a single year increase had not occurred in recent memory- nonetheless, the district submitted these numbers to the state. In turn, the state permitted an additional 7.95% tax increase on top of the allowed 2%...and all without a single vote cast by the public on the Board of Education budget.

As the Hoboken Reporter explained in an article: “We are talking about adding an additional school on the basis of enrollment numbers,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Christine Johnson, noting that as a result the district has to add additional sections of classes.

According to Board member Angley: "NJ DOE assessed Hoboken's dramatic enrollment growth and provided the district with an additional enrollment adjustment tax levy waiver of 7.95% [on top of the allotted 2%] in order to educate these new students with additional teachers, instructional supplies, technology, and special education needs" 

Angley continued...“On top of the K-12 growth we are seeing, Pre-K enrollment is also growing each year,” said Angley. “In the 2020-2021 school year, we will add 4 Pre-K classrooms for a total of 70 classrooms or 1,050 students.”

This enrollment adjustment waiver will allow the district to collect an additional $3.7 million which will be used for salaries and benefits for additional staff, additional supplies and materials, technology upgrades, additional services and equipment, increases in the Passport to Learning program for the additional students, and expanded athletic programs due to the likely increase in participation.

Related stories:

Hoboken Reporter: CLICK HERE

HMag/TapInto: CLICK HERE

Hoboken Viaduct - 2007 (L) and 2021 (R)