The proposed North Judson-San Pierre School Corporation budget has been slashed considerably over the past several years. Corporation business manager and treasurer Guy Richie told the county council during last week’s budget hearing that revenue continues to decline due to changes in state funding and drops in enrollment.
“At the moment it looks like we’re going to be about 40 students down if nothing changes between now and Sept. 15th. With that hit, we’ve done reductions for the last three or four years of almost $2.5 million. The general fund budget we’re presenting this year is $8 million, because that’s all our revenue would fund. Just five or six years ago I believe we were around $11 million for our budget,” Richie said.
The corporation is asking voters who live within the N.J.-S.P. school district to support a general fund referendum in November. Richie says they have no choice given the straits they are in. He says they can’t get ahead due to continued drops in enrollment. Richie adds the corporation would not even consider a referendum unless they felt it was absolutely necessary.
Richie adds the corporation is counting heavily on the passage of the tax increase. If it doesn’t pass, he says N.J.-S.P. will have to make significant cuts to programs and staff. He says corporation officials have not decided yet just what those will be. The county council will adopt the corporation’s budget at their September meeting.
