'Always room to grow': Hawthorne school board approves $53.8 million spending plan
HAWTHORNE — The Board of Education has approved a $53.8 million budget for next year that will fund new courses at the high school and the purchase of new materials in multiple areas of study for lower grades.
The spending plan, reflecting a $2.6 million increase over last year's budget, will also cover the installation of recording equipment in the band classroom at the high school, a 2,246-square-foot space set to be renovated in the coming months.
And for sports devotees, there will be a new offering in the winter — ice hockey.
Growth was the operative word when the budget was presented to trustees at a recent meeting.
"There's always room to grow," said Richard Spirito, schools superintendent. "I'm the first to say it, and I'll continue to say it for as long as I sit in this seat. I believe in that."
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Yet the K-12 district of 2,201 students is projecting an added expense of $315,899 for tuition payments outside of Hawthorne.
Much of that cost — a fraction of the overall figure of $4.5 million — is due to students opting to go to Passaic County Technical Institute in Wayne, whose admission is more than twice the local district's enrollment in all five schools combined.
For the first time, Spirito said, ice hockey will be offered to student-athletes at the high school through a co-op with Lakeland Regional and Waldwick high schools.
There will also be more opportunities in the classroom.
Spirito said the high school will have 18 college-level courses with the addition of AP U.S. Government and Politics. Other new courses will include American Pop Culture, Digital Marketing and Environmental and Earth Science.
The budget will fund Edpuzzle and Learning Ally software for students at Lincoln Middle School, as well as new materials for the science curriculum in kindergarten through fifth grade.
Spirito said the district will buy new computers for broadcasting and media arts courses at the high school, and new laser projectors for four science labs at the high school and middle school.
The district will also tap its reserve for $200,000 in capital funding to repave parking lots at Jefferson School and the high school.
The soon-to-be-renovated band classroom at the high school is part of the $24.4 million referendum that voters approved three years ago.
The budget is supported by a 2% hike in the tax levy. The average Hawthorne taxpayer, with property assessed at $380,850, will see an annual bill increase of $109.30.
Philip DeVencentis is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: devencentis@northjersey.com
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Hawthorne NJ: Schools budget approved by Board of Education
