Hillside Council Takes One Million Dollars From Schools

On Wednesday, May 14, the Hillside Township Council reduced the school budget by a whopping one million dollars. The cut comes a few weeks after a majority of voters in Hillside defeated the budget in the annual budget referendum.

This sudden reduction can only mean drastic cost cuts for the school board. But while some of these cuts may be needed and others long overdue, the school board cannot be expected to suddenly accommodate a million dollar cut, school board members said.

Unfortunately, the Township Council has put the board in the precarious position of having to immediately produce items to reduce from the budget. This can only mean laying-off personnel.

Even though the new board has been in control for a little over a month, they have already been working diligently to provide better, more affordable schools. Examples include eliminating costly lawyers and seeking better deals on insurance. The cost benefits of these changes will be seen in the long-term and will not adversely affect the education, board members add.

Some residents wondered why the Council couldn't contribute with cuts to its own budget.

Parent and activist Peter McKnight spoke at the meeting and challenged the council to explain why average school districts in New Jersey use up to 70 per cent of the taxes for the schools whereas in Hillside only 52 per cent is spent on the same purposes.

Second Ward Councilman Sam McGhee refused to accept McKnight's figures, claiming that they were "wrong". But research conducted by the DISPATCH reveals that the only one who is wrong is McGhee.

According to figures released last year by the New Jersey Department of Education, municipal government accounts for half of any tax bill in Hillside; schools take up the bulk of the remainder.

These figures counter the Council's longstanding position that the schools are responsible for the township's high taxes, newly elected Board member Sergio Bichao said.

"It's true the Board of Education accounts for a large portion of the tax bill, but the Township Council is not far behind. In fact, they're about the same. The Council needs to see what it can cut too and not expect the school board to do all the work."