The 2006-2007 Budget

Dear Doctor Kazmark,

The 2006-2007 budget was discussed at the Board of Education Meeting on March 27, 2006. At that meeting you advised, in response to Mr. Dieckamp’s question about the tuition charged to Boonton Township students, “that the costs at the high school will go up no more than 3% and the increase being charged to Boonton Township is 3%.” However, the per pupil costs for the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 school years are $16,672 and $18,221 respectively. That is a 9% year to year increase. Can you explain this discrepancy?
The advertised per pupil cost calculations for the 2005-2006 and 2006-2007 school years are $16,672 and $18,221 respectively. The difference is $1,549. If you divide that amount by the 2005-2006 per pupil cost, the result is 9%.
I do not think that such a large discrepancy (3% versus 9%) can be explained away by increases in the Lake Drive budget. Lake Drive students are 5.5% of the total student population.

Respectfully submitted,
Joseph J. Hehir
Mountain Lakes, NJ