New District Budget
The transitional Henry Hudson Regional Board of Education unanimously introduced a tentative budget for the Pre-K through 12 regional school district at its 6 p.m. meeting Monday night. The Board and Superintendent also made it clear the budget as presented is subject to change when the state Department of Education completes its work, makes its determinations and will enable the district to present an accurate budget by May.
Under current law, the regional board had to submit a budget to Monmouth County this month. Adopted at the meeting was a total calling for $19,424’429 to be raised by taxes for the 2024-2025 school budget of $26,470,070. Public hearing on the budget is planned for May 6 at 7 P.M.. at Henry Hudson School.
Currently, the new regional district has a total of 749 students in the Pre-K through 12 district. The percentage shared by the two boroughs would be 53.6 percent by Atlantic Highlands and 46 percent for Highlands.
Board members also indicated they received an additional $56,000 in state aid and are anticipating more at some point, but do not know in what amount.
Judging from Monday’s meeting, it does not appear the state has everything in place for the regionalization that was approved by both boroughs last year, partially, it is presumed, since there has been an acting Commissioner of Education and this is the first regionalization under the new laws. Superintendent Dr. Tara Beams indicated she has been in communication with various departments but has not been able to get conclusive answers to all the questions dealing with the new regional district.
The board confirmed it has received close to $800,000 for the two preschools, one in each borough, for the net school year. In addition to Atlantic Highlands receiving $300,000 for this year’s pre-school program. Highlands already had its funding in place for preschool for 2023.
In response to questions from Atlantic Highlands resident Mark Fisher, the board indicated it has no news on anything to do with regionalization with Sea Bright, including the status of any legal action by Oceanport or Shore Regional against Sea Bright, the status of the question of including Sea B right in the district being on the November ballot, or the updated feasibility studies which have been done to have the questions on the ballot. Nor has the board had any communication with Sea Bright officials concerning regionalization.
In other business, the board approved the curriculum and instruction for the next school year, which includes summer camps for 2024 in theater, band, STEAM and Strength & Conditioning, for two weeks each for the high school level, , as well as 11 summer camps in various sports, arts, and activities for K-fifth grade levels, for varying times and dates for K through 5th grades during the summer.
