WESTFIELD — The Westfield Board of Education unanimously voted to approve its $131.5-million general operating budget on Tuesday following a final presentation by Superintendent Raymond González, Ed.D., and district Business Administrator Patricia Ramos that detailed this year’s intended spending plan.
The district will need to raise $117,703,390 in taxes this year in order to support its anticipated expenditures of $136,682,113.
Westfield voters will be asked to approve an additional funding request of $1,675,397 during the board’s upcoming election on Tuesday, April 16.
If the additional funding proposal is approved, homeowners in Westfield should expect to see their school taxes go up by about $347. If the funding proposal is voted down, taxes will increase by about $187.
The base operational budget, which accounts for 2.62 percent of the proposed tax increase, provides curriculum funding for writing and professional development along with curriculum management software to increase ease of navigation for the community in accessing district documents. It also will support upgrades to technology, fund upgrades to classroom furniture and new materials for the media center, initiate a Staff Wellness Program, maintain the district’s current programming, including visual and performing arts and athletics, and provide the necessary staff to create two new special education in-district programs to provide services as mandated in students’ Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).
“The budget is consistent with what we have been presenting up until this point,” Dr. González said. “By prioritizing student outcomes and making sure that we maintain the same level of offerings and opportunities for students and taking it a step further to expand upon those opportunities, I am proud to say the 2024-2025 budget accomplishes all of this and more.”
The additional funding proposal will allow the district to maintain “educational continuity,” Dr. González said. Seven teachers — three from the elementary schools, two from the intermediate schools and two from the high school — will need to be let go if the proposal is not approved by the voters next month.
If approved, the additional funding request also will support high-school enrichment programs, redesigned gifted/enrichment courses at both intermediate schools and new courses in areas including robotics, consumer education, computer science, technology education, food and nutrition science and home systems technology. One new science teacher will be hired to teach the new electives. The additional funding will further allow the district to hire a new supervisor and provide enhanced compensation for paraprofessionals. An assistant supervisor of buildings and grounds, along with two new additional groundskeepers/maintenance staff, also will be added if the proposal is approved, to ensure buildings and grounds continue to be safely and consistently maintained.
“One makes assumptions if a town is wealthy, the school is well funded,” said board member Sahar Aziz, who informed residents that Tuesday evening’s meeting would be the last she attends. “I hope people ask the right questions. We are a wealthy town that lacks resources we’re expected to have.” For the April 16 election, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. To view Tuesday night’s budget presentation in its entirety, visit westfieldnjk12.org.
