School Superintendent Brian Osborne gave the first indications of how much money the district would need next year and how that money would be spent. At the South Orange and Maplewood School Board meeting on Monday, January 12, Osborne presented the board with the preliminary budget for the 2009/2010 school year.

The budget, which entailed a four percent tax increase, proposed expansion of summer classes and kindergarten as a response to projections of increased enrollment, as well as increased special education programs and investment in technology.

Osborne addressed current economic concerns at points in the presentation, and emphasized that many of the proposed expenses would be single-time expenditures. Also, he said the district budget was in good health, with money left over from previous school years. Still, he said, the preliminary budget was based on the assumption that state money would remain constant, and changes would be needed if it didn't.

"It's early in a budget season," Osborne said.

Accompanied by PowerPoint slides, Osborne rattled through the state of the district and the district's plan. With enrollment projected to increase for the first time in eight years, he proposed adding seven elementary school teachers, and helping struggling students by holding back students who are falling behind at the middle school level. Also for low performing students, the district would implement a reading supplemental program, "Read 180."

Much of the presentation dealt with new technologies sought for schools. While Osborne said technology was "no silver bullet" and expressed the need to increase the professional staff at the schools, he said new classroom technologies have "a tremendous potential to support students at every level."

He wants the schools to increase their connectivity with a fiber optic ring system and wireless connectivity for classrooms. Existing home economics classrooms in the middle schools would be converted into media technology centers, where students would learn tech and design skills.

"It's not just how do you use Word or Excel," the district's chief information officer, Paul Roth, said. "There are more complex things going on."

Osborne emphasized that technological expenses would only occur once, and that the new budget, as it stood, would lower its largest expenditures: special education, energy, health care and maintenance. The health care costs would not rise this year, and building renovations would help drive down maintenance and energy costs. The cost of special education would be lowered by retaining more special education students in the district instead of paying to have them taught elsewhere. Money left over from past years would be put towards new technology, Osborne said.

The changes, Osborne said, would keep the schools competitive with ones in nearby towns.