FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Tuesday, April 16, 2024.  Polls will be open 7 a.m. - 8 p.m. 

1. Before 2010, the district budget was voted on annually by the Westfield community in April.  The average tax levy increase was 4.9%.

2. In 2011- 2012, the State of New Jersey reduced the amount of aid it provides school districts by 65%; this resulted in reductions in excess of $4-million made to the Westfield Public Schools operating budget. The State also placed a 2% cap, with eligible adjustments, on tax levy increases for districts opting out of a community vote on the district budget.

3. Until the 2022-2023 school year, the District was able to submit budgets at cap with minimal reductions due to proactive changes. Two years of a global pandemic and the related economic disruptions to supply chains and labor markets contributed to sharply rising costs in health benefits, transportation, out of district tuition, supplies and equipment, and other expenditures which severely outpaced the District’s sources of revenue.

4. The District was forced to make reductions in staffing in the 2022-2023 budget in order to meet the 2% cap.

5. In June 2022, the Board of Education approved a resolution to move the date of the annual Board election and budget vote from November to April.

6. Moving the Board election from November to April simultaneously lifted the District out from under the state mandated 2% tax levy cap and afforded the taxpayers the opportunity to directly vote on a school budget that not only supports the staff who provide a high quality education for our students, but enables the District to move forward with enhanced programs and initiatives to further that education.

Yes.  A variety of community engagement sessions are scheduled in March and April to allow multiple opportunities for Westfield voters to hear about the 2024-2025 school district operating budget and to get their questions answered before going to the polls on Tuesday, April 16, 2024.  The list of community engagement sessions -- some remote, some in-person -- is posted on this Budget Vote portal under “Community Engagement.”  Please also know that Westfield residents can submit questions via a form on the Budget portal entitled “Submit a Question.” 

Please see Slide 51 on the Budget Presentation posted on the Budget Portal.

This Budget Vote portal is updated throughout the budget process as information is disseminated to the Board.  Visit the Details page on the portal.  Additionally, the User Friendly Budget will be posted to the Budget Portal on Thursday, March 28.

Following the public hearing and adoption of the Base Budget on March 26, 2024, the User Friendly Budget will be posted on the Budget Portal by Thursday, March 28.

Please refer to Slide 41 in the Budget Presentation on the Budget Portal.

Please refer to Slides 42-46 in the Budget Presentation on the Budget Portal.  Additionally, the language that will be on the April 16, 2024 ballot reads as follows:

RESOLVED, that there should raised an additional $1,675,397 for the General Fund in the same school year (2024-2025). These taxes will be used exclusively for the retention of 3 elementary teachers, 2 intermediate teachers, 2 high school teachers, and health benefits for the 7 current staff members. The separate proposal also includes the addition of 1 Supervisor for the Special Services Department, 1 Assistant Buildings and Grounds Supervisor, 2 Maintenance/Groundskeepers, 1 high school teacher for additional electives, funding in the amount of $125,000 to enhance the stipends in the paraprofessional contract, 3 Enrichment/Intervention teachers at the elementary level, 3 part time security guards for the schools, and health benefits for the 8 additional staff members. Approval of these taxes will result in a permanent increase to the tax base. These proposed additional expenditures are in addition to those necessary to achieve the New Jersey Student Learning Standards.

While our primary goal is to get through the 2024-2025 Budget vote, we are also working with the district architect to take the steps towards a referendum. Some of the key milestones achieved: 

• • • Summer 2023: Hire a new district architect

    • Fall 2023: Conduct comprehensive facilities assessment

    • Winter: Conduct demographic study

These steps provide the data necessary to generate the options to be considered. 

Additionally, we would like to clarify a few points often raised about the differences between the annual budget vote and a bond referendum.

• • The April Budget vote introduced last year is the annual vote required to cover the operating expenses for the subsequent school year. Annual increases to the tax levy are inevitable and necessary to keep up with the rising cost of everything without cutting staff, programs, and offerings.

  • The April Budget vote is not a bond referendum; therefore, it would not be able to accommodate the large-scale construction costs associated with adding the instructional space needed to accommodate FDK. 

Last but not least, a definitive timeline is not possible to confirm at this time because many decisions have yet to be made, but here's a rough idea to illustrate the process:

• • April 2024: Annual Budget Vote

  • Fall 2024: Submit Referendum Projects to NJDOE for review/approval to be placed on April ballot.

  • April 2025: Annual Budget Vote AND Facilities Bond Referendum (Separate votes on same ballot)
    
    

IF approved:

• 2025-2026: Architect designs the technical specifications for the construction projects that are needed to bid and award the projects.

• 2026-2027: Construction projects are underway during the summer and while schools are in session.

• 2027- beyond: Depending on many unknown variables, it is too early to confirm when some or all of the classrooms will come online.

Additional Considerations: 

• • During the school year before opening the classrooms, we will need to include the purchase of the furniture and instructional resources in the annual April operating budget to be voted on by the public.

  • The school year the classrooms are slated to open we will need to include the hiring of the additional teachers and staff needed into the annual April operating budget to be voted on by the public.

In all of this, the two most important takeaways are: 

• • The Board and Administration are committed to presenting the opportunity for FDK to the public for a vote, but FDK is only possible if the public approves it via the April 2025 referendum AND the subsequent annual operating budget votes.

  • The timeline is complicated, fluid, and susceptible to delays due to variables outside our control. 

  • In the weeks and months after the April 16, 2024 budget vote, we will reach out to the community to gather input and feedback about our referendum priorities. 

These programs are funded entirely by the tuition paid by the participating families registered in the programs.  The district allows the YMCA to use space in our buildings free of charge to help keep costs down.

It is important to note that each year’s fiscal strategy must adapt to the changing economic landscape and the specific needs of our district. The challenge in developing the school budget comes down to the inability to contain the rising costs of our base budget to remain within the maximum allowable tax levy increase. For instance, if the average salary increase alone is 3%, it already outpaces the amount we can increase the tax levy vis-a-vis the base budget without reducing it in other essential areas. With the passage of each base budget and additional funding proposal, our goal is to ensure that these positions become a permanent part of our base budget as soon as it is financially feasible.

The interconnected  priorities that guide the development of the budget aim to 1) preserve the student experience by maintaining class sizes, programs and offerings, 2) expand programs and opportunities, and 3) invest in our buildings and grounds. Together, the base budget and additional funding proposal seek to meet the holistic needs of the districts in alignment with these interconnected priorities. This approach helps us to present a cohesive and well-rounded budget to our stakeholders, which enhances the chances of all elements being funded.

For those Westfield residents who are newly eligible to vote or who have not yet registered, please know that the deadline to register to vote is March 26,  21 days before the Budget Vote / Board Election on April 16, 2024. Learn more HERE.

Please visit the Voter Registration page on this site to learn more.  You also can reach out to the Office of the Union County Clerk in the Election Division at (908) 527-4996 or ucvote@ucnj.org. 

Residents will report to the same voting location they use for the November general elections.  Information regarding the ballot and voting locations will be mailed to taxpayers by the county in the weeks leading up to the election.