Wildwood School Budget Way Out of Line

To The Editor:
Out of 46 K-12 districts, Wildwood has a cost per student of $19,227 according to the March 26, 2010 Department of Education 2010 Comparative Spending Guide. In this guide for the year 2009-10, classroom salaries and benefits totaled $8.8 million; support services salaries and benefits came to over $2 million, and administrative salaries and benefits were $1.1 million.
This guide also stated that our estimated enrollment was at 844, and our general supplies and books totaled $580,753, which would be about $688 per student. In Ocean City with 2,135 students, they spent $909,383 for $426 per student. Middle Township had 2,855 students, and they spent $555,829 that equals to about $195 per student. Extracurricular activities spending for Wildwood was $635,450 at $756 per child. Ocean City’s spending was $1,076,249 at $504 per student; Middle Township spent $1,129,181 or $395 each student. Why does it cost so much more to educate Wildwood students?
As our student population is decreasing, the total amount of teachers, administration and support is in excess for a school of this small enrollment. In Data Universe of app.com for the years 2008-2009 from pre-school to fourth grade it listed approximately 47 teachers of which four teachers only taught one to three classes.
In the high school there were about 41 teachers of which 15 teachers taught one to three classes. The middle school listed 20 teachers with seven teachers teaching one to three classes. Administrative employees total around 24. Our superintendent’s salary was $142,428, and business administrator’s salary was $138,808, which is shared with Wildwood Crest.
According to the Herald’s article of Feb. 21, Wildwood will be losing state aid in the sum of $566,247. In another local paper on March 25, Superintendent Anderson stated that the school tax rate will be 53.6 cents, an increase of 2.6 cents above last year’s rate. Why should the taxpayers be burdened to shoulder the extra expenses for the loss of this state aid?
After the Wildwood Crest budget hearing on March 30, Anderson stated “the Department of Education declined his request to ask the taxpayers for funds to offset the State’s substantial and unprecedented cuts in state aid.” The state is cutting their funding because they know the school budgets are excessive, and spending is out of control. So why does the Wildwood taxpayer have to be subjected to an increase? Should the taxpayers support a voucher for approximately $6,000 to send our high school children to Wildwood Catholic? It would be a lot cheaper and reduce our tax rate.
Our city government is aggressively working to reduce the tax rate; so why can’t the Wildwood School Board, Wildwood Education Association and NJ Education Association do the same? Some teachers have agreed.
Why is it that of 10 school board members, five are related to someone working at our schools? (three actually had a conscience to abstain.) This is a conflict of interest and those members should step down, as they are not representing the taxpayers fairly and with integrity. A new board should be selected that will not be biased. One board member had the courage to stand up and vote “no” to this out-of-line increase in this school budget.
Everyone involved needs to make concessions from the top down. The taxpayers have already made major concessions. Please vote “no” in opposition to this upcoming budget.
KATHLEEN McCULLOUGH
Wildwood