VENTNOR — The Ventnor Board of School Estimates will consider a $22.7 million budget next week, including about $400,000 in cuts, to make up for a $1 million tuition increase to send students to Atlantic City High School.
The 2020-21 budget includes the elimination of three teaching positions through retirements and one administrative position, according to school board President Doug Biagi.
“Our new superintendent will be handling not only superintendent duties but also pre-K to second grade duties,” Biagi said.
The middle school principal will handle the remaining grades at the preschool through eighth grade district, he said.
“We’re trying to do a little more with less,” Biagi said.
Those cuts mirror the ones suggested by Mayor Beth Holtzman earlier this month after it was announced the district received the large increase in tuition costs for sending students to Atlantic City for high school, part of a decades-old sending and receiving agreement.
In her role as mayor, Holtzman also chairs the city’s Board of School Estimates, which has ultimate authority over the school budget in a Type I district with an appointed school board.
At its meeting last week, the Ventnor school board approved the submission of the budget to the Board of School Estimates that includes a $17.4 million tax levy, down from the $17.8 million levy considered last month.
Biagi said he would announce some changes during Monday’s meeting, which is being held through the web-based video platform Zoom in adherence to Gov. Phil Murphy’s social distancing regulations related to COVID-19.
“The city administration has already been given a plan of what we intend to do,” Biagi said. “We’re hoping that it passes without any issues, or it meets their standard for the amount of cuts they wanted to see.”
The Board of School Estimates will meet 6 p.m. April 6 via Zoom. Details on how to access the meeting will be posted on the school website at veccnj.org.
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