Budget Cuts Paused After 5 Hour Sussex County Tech Board of Education Meeting

SPARTA, NJ –  It was more than four hours of public comment at the Sussex County High School Technical High School as more than a hundred people lined the aisle of the McNeice auditorium to voice their support and concern about the proposed elimination of three “shops.” Architectural Technology, Graphic Communications and Theater Arts are on the chopping block.

After the speakers concluded, the board members worked through their agenda, tabling the personnel items on the agenda related to the budget cuts.

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Board President Jarrod Cofrancesco said, “It’s been an informative evening. I appreciate everyone’s comments. This board listened to what you had to say. Personally I’ve analyzed it and I would like some time to reflect as it appears the board members would as well.”

Cofrancesco said, “I do have full faith and confidence in this administration.”

He said during his 15-year tenure on the board the school has done well and there have been challenges.

“We’re not the first institution to have a budget crisis, a budget challenge,” he said noting the “good thing is we can gather like this in a peaceful manner.”

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“We’re going to look into everything that you all have talked about today. We’re going to have some pretty tough discussions,” Earl Schick said.

He told the crowd he and Commissioner DeGroot are the liaisons to the Sussex County Vo-Tech.  They have been involved in two meetings and expect to be involved in many more. Schick read a statement that explained the county commissioners “do not have oversight of the operations of the school” they do have the authority to appoint members to the board of education and provide funding.

Schick said, “We are encouraged to recently hear of increased enrollment and a proverbial waiting list of students to get in at about $2500 a head which  would increase tuition revenue” but is it not enough necessarily erase the deficit.

Schick invited the public to the next Sussex County Commissioners meeting on April 24 where the school’s budget will be discussed.

The county has not cut funding but increased by 2.85%. The state aid is remaining flat from last year according to the New Jersey Department of Education. The budget shortfall has been reported between $500,000 and $800,000.

More than 100 Speakers

The auditorium was packed with students and teachers wearing matching printed t-shirts representing different groups. Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and alumni took their turn at the microphone to voice support for the three programs, the students who choose to study in them and the teachers.

An Associate Dean from NJIT, a senior newly accepted into the very competitive PACE stage management program, an airline pilot, parent of an alumna who has performed on Broadway, alumni Rutgers, Montclair and Centenary University theater majors, mother of an alumna currently an officer in the United States Air Force were just a few of those who waited their turn to speak. And there were students.  Their pride in their school came through, even with words of anger and disappointment.

The students spoke passionately about the impact these classes and teachers and friendships have had on their lives and the hardship they would face with the elimination of these programs.

There was criticism of Modal’s request for a raise with his new contract that puts him in the top 5 superintendent salaries in the county.

Speakers were critical of the school eliminating programs while still taking applications for those programs.  Only weeks prior incoming freshmen received their acceptance letters, some to the three shops being eliminated, according to speakers.

School Expansion

The night before the marathon budget meeting, architects and engineers representing the school presented their plans for an expansion to Sussex Technical High School.  The Phase II plans include a new section for the building with classrooms to house the existing Allied Health program and a new Kinesiology program. An additional expansion to the engineering area will provide more floor space for the Engineering students.

The addition/expansion project includes air conditioning units and renovations to existing engineering classroom space “to improve the working environment for students.” The new space includes new bathrooms and a central hallway.

Joshua Thompson and Lionel Camacho said the funding for the project is from “a federal or state grant” and affirmed the funding was secured to have the project be completed.

The first phase of the project was to demolish the natatorium dome and infrastructure.

Sparta’s Mayor Neill Clark spoke, explaining he was speaking on behalf of Sparta residents who had reached out to him with their concerns.

“A budget is a choice, not simply numbers on a balance sheet.  The choices that you make are upending lives,” Clark said, asking how “in a period of austerity” they are building an addition. “It’s a choice.”

Next Steps

Schick invited the public to the next Sussex County Commissioners' meeting on April 24 where the school’s budget will be discussed.

“We hear you we’ve listened. We need time to digest. I know I have questions. I know my fellow board members have questions. I know our administration is competent and talented. They will answer all our questions. Collectively we will find a pathway forward,” Cofrencesco said before the vote to table the personnel agenda items. They then concluded the meeting.

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