Budgets OK’d for Co. Technical, Special Services Schools

CREST HAVEN – For the first time, a unified school board went before freeholders March 26 to seek nearly $12.4 million from the Board of School Estimate to operate the Cape May County Special Services School District and Cape May County Technical School District for the 2019-2020 year.
Joining Superintendent Dr. Nancy Hudanich of the Technical School District was Assistant Superintendent Jamie Moscony of the Special Services School District.
The Technical School sought $8.2 million, a 2 percent increase, or $161,271. That district’s total budget was $16.1 million.
The Special Services School asked for $4.1 million.
As Hudanich pointed out to freeholders, “The decreasing county student population trend has adversely impacted this budget.” She added that an anticipated decrease of 55 budgeted, full-time students would take enrollment to 533 full-time and 79 career-technical students.
The dip was the result of 35 fewer students than in the 2018-19 school year, added to a projected reduction of 20 students in the 2019-20 school year.
County taxpayers will fund about 52 percent of the budget, Hudanich noted, while tuitions of $5.3 million would make up 34 percent of the anticipated revenue. The remaining 4 percent of the budget will be made up of various revenue.
Hudanich noted the Special Services School District derives about 33 percent of its revenue from taxes and 62 percent from tuition.
Hudanich said that tuition “varies on program need.”
The Special Services School District provides educational programs for special-needs students with “unique social, emotional, physical, intellectual, and career needs,” according to its mission statement.
In addition to its normal school year, the district offers an extended school year from July 1 to Aug. 1, five weeks, from Monday to Thursday.
Hudanich noted that both districts were sharing human resources experts who are specialists in behavior. In addition, she cited shared technology, professional development days and legal updates, including a briefing on anti-bullying law.
Hudanich continued that the Technical School would receive about $1.4 million in state aid, while the Special Services District would receive no state aid.
The Board of School Estimate is composed of President Alan Gould, Vice President Jane Elwell, and freeholders Gerald Thornton, E. Marie Hayes, and Will Morey.