SOUTH DENNIS – The voters of Dennis Township rejected a ballot question that would have appropriated nearly $1.3 million for the school district in the Tuesday, Nov. 7, election, meaning that teachers laid off at the end of the last school year will not be rehired or replaced.
The vote against the measure was 958 to 717. The funds were requested to restore the teaching positions that were cut and reduce class sizes to pre-layoff levels. The question, if passed, also would have provided courtesy busing for students who live less than 2 miles from school.
Dennis Township School District Chief Administrator Susan Speirs said the Dennis Township Board of Education voted to keep courtesy bussing, regardless of the special question.
In April, the board of education voted 8-1 to pass a budget that eliminated several teaching positions and resulted in the typical class size going from 22 to 33 students. The budget also included cutting some sports and other after-school programs.
The cuts were opposed at that meeting by the teachers association and members of the public. The result of the board’s vote was that students began the current school year in more cramped classrooms.
Speirs said the district cut nine teachers this year, six of which were homeroom teachers, which directly impacted the number of students in a classroom. She said classrooms will remain as they are this year; however, in other areas the district would immediately begin cutting where it can.
Speirs said some sports were also cut but that “some generous donors from the larger community contributed donations, which enabled us to keep the sports for another year.”
The reductions are all related to a five-year state plan to reduce school aid. Since 2018, the district has lost about $4.5 million in state aid based on legislation titled NJ S2. The legislation was aimed at redirecting aid to school districts that were most in need, while allowing other districts to exceed their tax-levy growth limits to fund schools. School districts such as Dennis Township are facing one more year of reduced state aid.
“We are anticipating another $206,508 loss in aid for next year in addition to rising costs in many departments,” Speirs said.
She referred the Herald to a flyer posted on the district website that listed programs that would probably be facing cuts in the next school year, including baseball, softball, field hockey, stage band and the Future Educators Club. The district anticipates a reduction in supplemental teachers for school support and forgoing technology upgrades. Speirs said more reductions will be necessary for the 2024-2025 school year.
“We don’t know yet exactly what those reductions will be. We will have many discussions about this topic as well as look to see what our funding from the state will be for 2024-2025,” she said.
She expressed the administration’s thanks to the board of education and faculty who worked to promote a “Yes” vote on the ballot question, and to the staff and community members who continuously support township schools.
Contact the author, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or 609-886-8600, ext. 128.
