Some key numbers in Morris School District budget, ahead of April 26 hearing

Tax impact of 2021-22 MSD Budget. Screenshot by Kevin Coughlin
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The Morris School District hopes for a return to “normal” operations in September.

But its next budget, scheduled for a virtual public hearing this Monday, April 26, 2021, purports to look a little farther past the pandemic… to 2040.

“Our goals are not merely to return to normalcy. We want to move forward in important ways,” to prepare students for a swiftly evolving, knowledge-based economy, Superintendent Mackey Pendergrast said in a video preview. “The 2021-22 budget signals a far-reaching step toward our vision.”

Video: Morris School District 2021-22 budget preview:

That long view includes a continuing emphasis on Pre-K.  A state grant of almost $9 million will enable 630 kids, ages 3 and 4, to attend for free, Pendergrast said. Taxpayers will pay transportation costs.

The spending plan also calls for installation of interactive panels– deferred by the pandemic — in all elementary school classrooms, and continued small class sizes throughout the 10-school regional district, which employs about 1,000 people serving 5,700 students.

Morris School District revenues, 2021-22. Screenshot by Kevin Coughlin

Pendergrast’s preview does not disclose the budget total, though he said it won’t exceed the state-imposed 2 percent budget cap that would trigger a referendum.

Local taxpayers shoulder 82 percent of the tab.

The owner of a Morristown home assessed at $354,790, the town average, will see an annual school tax decrease of $40.

In neighboring Morris Township, where the average home is assessed at $560,500, that homeowner will see his or her annual school tax increase by $108.

Morris School District expenses, 2021-22. Screenshot by Kevin CoughlinScreenshot by Kevin Coughlin

State and federal sources account for another 7 percent of revenue, and 5 percent (rounded) is from a budgeted reserve. Tuition from Morris Plains students attending Morristown High, and others who live outside the district comes to about 4 percent.

 

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The budget’s $3.3 million in capital projects include modular classrooms for Frelinghuysen Middle School; lights and a new scoreboard, track and turf for Morristown High School; field improvements at the Alexander Hamilton Elementary School; and new windows and heating/air conditioning at the Woodland Elementary School.

Morris School District budget plans for Morristown High athletics, 2021-22. Screenshot by Kevin Coughlin

Security vestibules are planned district-wide, at a cost of $630,000.

Girls flag football is being added this spring at the high school, and boys volleyball will follow next year.

Instruction accounts for 80 percent of district expenses. Facilities are another 11 percent (figures are rounded), administration is 5 percent, and 1.2 percent goes to the Unity Charter School.

PANDEMIC CHALLENGES, AND A TURBULENT BIRTH

“We are a large, multi-cultural and cosmopolitan community that has many diverse needs, across many different academic levels. Yet, we are one strong, healthy community. And this budget supports our entire district community, in all of its great complexity, in the most fiscally responsible manner,” Pendergrast said in his preview.

About $3 million from the current budget was “re-purposed” for pandemic needs.

Statewide, the district was among the few districts –about 10 percent– to offer five-day-per-week, in-person classes for elementary schools, according to the superintendent.

The high school and middle school have run on hybrid schedules, alternating between in-person and virtual learning.

On Monday, Pendergrast plans to present data suggesting academic performance in the lower grades has held up, despite school closures, quarantines and virtual classes.

Pandemic health precautions have included removal of desks for social distancing; purchases of masks, hand sanitizing stations and tents; and hiring of substitute teachers, bus drivers and nurses.

Pandemic precautions in Morristown School District. Screenshot by Kevin Coughlin

Some 2,000 Chromebooks were distributed to help students with virtual studies.  The district also has partnered with local organizations to distribute 400,000 meals during the pandemic.

A district coronavirus information center has distributed 51 updates over 52 weeks, garnering half a million views, Pendergrast added.

COVID-19 is challenging the Morris School District as it marks its turbulent birth 50 years ago. A landmark 1971 court decision forged the district from Morristown and Morris Township schools, a merger that was “neither easy nor trouble-free,” Pendergrast reflected.

Key figures in 1971 Morris School District merger: From left, Beatrice and George Jenkins, founding board member George Kelley, lawyer Steve Wiley. Screenshot by Kevin Coughlin

It stemmed from a “visionary premise that both students and communities grow, learn and benefit when there is racial balance and diversity,” and has endured thanks to “principled and courageous decisions in pursuit of a vision that our school district would act`as a great unifying social force,” he said

Asserting this work is far from complete, Pendergrast pledged to press ahead on equity inclusion and anti-racist policies to ensure every student feels valued.

“We aspire to be a community of communities, where each student is empowered to live a life of choice and opportunity, a life that matters,” he said. “This is the most valuable way we can honor the vision of our district founders.”

Monday’s virtual hearing starts at 7:30 pm. Register here to participate via Zoom.

 

Morris School District, elementary school performance, pandemic. Screenshot by Kevin Coughlin
Morris School District elementary school performance vs. national norms, pandemic. Screenshot by Kevin Coughlin

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4 COMMENTS

  1. Very good points by MRK. Students at the High School level were also only in school for 4 hours per day. All hands on classes such as art and wood shop were closed and done virtually. Students were not allowed to have any one on one with teachers even via Google Meet for extra help and to answer questions. My child is a senior with 4 APs. Some of the AP classes were also recordings of the live class of another section so no interaction for those. Some of the Google Meets consisted of teachers coming online then telling the students to work on their Web Assigns during that time. My child has not learned a thing since last year’s shut down. Many students chose to go all virtual because the in person classroom was just miserable with the masking, barely anyone in the class, and during cold months the windows wide open. I agree regarding the communication. It consisted of constant texts and emails about COVID cases and literally nothing else. It is almost the end of April and STILL no communication about graduation options being considered (if any). Most honors usually bestowed upon seniors and celebrated have been ignored including NHS, all other honor societies, etc. No thought to virtual ceremonies or even congratulatory emails. Hats off to athletics for putting in the most effort for these things and doing the best they could under the restrictions placed on them. The only other communication outside of COVID alerts was the administration’s commitment to “anti-racism” and the survey they partnered with Harvard on about this. How ironic to partner on race topics with an institution that was sued and lost due to their own racism and discrimination in admissions policies. It is obvious what this administration values – and it is NOT education excellence for all.

  2. Just to clarify, students at the elementary level only were in school for four hours each day and forced to have their ‘specials’ such as science, art, music, gym and library conducted virtually. These were not live seasons, rather they were video recordings, power point presentations or links to other webpages. If it were not the consistent pushing of the parents, these specials would have remained virtual. Now they are in person as of the 4th marking period.

    I find that technology and science is mentioned in this presentation as a key element of the future yet the district didn’t consider science a core subject to its curriculum but rather left it as virtual for students to do on their own. Many found it hard, frustrating and non motivating to learn in this manner and gave up. Now they are in person due to the pushing of parents to make it so but that is still almost 3/4 of a year’s worth of learning lost.

    Also, the majority of the commutation that came out of the MSD Administration had to do with COVID alerts / notices of those who tested positive but WERE NOT infected through a transmission in the schools. Communication regarding restart and going committees and plans to get the students back to full days were never disclosed. Parents consistently requested for such information at each BOE as well as details to surveys given only to receive cryptic comments or very little at all.

    As the saying goes, ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ but when that ‘village’ (parents) expressed their interest to help through volunteering or providing out of the box ideas to help with the challenges that arose, they were ignored and given a rude reception by the administration.

    I hope that for the next school year and the years to come thereafter, the MSD Administration can brush off the chip on their shoulder and work with parents who want all the children of MSD to succeed in whatever they want to do or become.

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