This link is provided by RLS Metro Breaking News to obtain several PDF files relating to this matter:
**https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B_RqO6-zcAKSTk1fQ3NmTXBiem8&usp=sharing**
In a request to move the Irvington Public School's staff to a State Health Benefits Program and possibly diverting a reduction in staff, Irvington Public Schools Board of Education approved their superintendent's resolution late last night at their monthly meeting.
Calling it an "extremely difficult decision" Irvington Schools' Superintendent Dr. Neely Hackett in a letter sent via email early this morning told township employees "I believe the move is essential to the survival of our district.
According to Dr. Hackett, as early as September 2015, the district was faced with the fact that budget cuts would be necessary to balance the 2016-2017 budget. "Due to rising charter school enrollment, cuts would be needed because of a decrease in student enrollment in our schools" Dr. Hackett said.
The superintendent pointed at rising cost of health care, and transportation use to transport Charter School students to their educational sites as a main factor in her cabinet's decision for the district.
The cabinet came up with the following solution to alleviate the issue:
Reduce teachers to ensure that classes in the elementary and middle schools have a minimum of 25 students
Change our transportation option for Charter School students
Move to the State Health Benefits Program
The cabinet temporarily ruled out star reduction if the State Health Benefits Program was initiated along with smaller cuts in other area of financial concern to the district.
According to Dr. Hackett, meetings have been held with the district's Union Leaders regarding the State Health Benefits Program as a precautionary measure.
Several messages from our staff that were sent to district union officials for comments went unanswered.
According to an Open Public Records Act request sent to the state regarding state funding to Irvington in February, the reports showed that the district received a little under $113,300,000 which is about 80 percent of the districts revenue for the 2016-2017 school year. (see link above for Budget chart)
"I was completely shocked that we faced a $3 million dollar budget gap. We immediately realized that this gap could not be closed with the planned reduction of elementary and middle school teachers and the change in transportation for Charter School students" Dr. Heely said.
A move to State Health Benefits Program will have a savings of 3.7 million dollars for 2016-2017 school year and have a 2.3 million dollar savings each year thereafter which should cause an unexplained scenario to possibly "win back" students that are being educated by Charter Schools according to Dr. Heely.
According to Dr. Hackett, the deadline to submit an application to the State Health Benefits Program is April 1, 2016 she expects Union Leaders to support the decisions with no further options since the district and the union have met several times on coming up with strategies. .
Dr. Hackett ended her note to staff by stating the following "I understand that this matter will ultimately be decided in the legal system and I regret that fact. If the court upholds the move to the State Plan, some members of our family will be unhappy. If the court does not uphold the move to the State Plan, our family will lose approximately 75 staff members and we will not be able to purchase any new curriculum materials (we planned to purchase a new mathematics program 6-12 and a new social studies program K to 2)".
Please stay with RLS Metro Breaking News as we have sought OPRA requests for several areas that citizens of the township have in-boxed their concerns including crime. We have received some documents but are awaiting others in which we will get them out to you no matter when they come.