Central Regional Budget Cuts Now Total $815,239

Officials from the five sending towns of the Central Regional school district have agreed to cut $815,239 from the defeated school budget.

The Central Regional Board of Education will meet tonight to discuss whether to appeal the cuts to the state Department of Education or accept them, school Business Administrator/Board Secretary Kevin O'Shea said today.

"A lot of cuts are on the table," he said. "We haven't finalized them yet."

The $815,239 cut comes after hours of tense discussions in closed session during two previous meetings and phone calls on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Township officials from all but Seaside Park had originally agreed to no cuts. But Seaside Park started out at $3 million, then went to $1.5 million.

If Board of Education members agree to accept the cut, it will be to protect the district, O'Shea said.

"The fear was the state might cut it even more," he said. "If you leave it to them to make a decision, they will make a decision nobody will like."

Although voters in Island Heights, Seaside Heights and Ocean Gate approved the $27,489,152 tax levy portion of the Central Regional $33,252,531 budget on April 27, it went down in Berkeley Township and Seaside Park. The total vote was 2,485 to 2,379 - a .

O'Shea said he was "most disappointed" in Berkeley Township, because more voters had not gone to the polls.

Central Regional accepts middle and high school students from Berkeley Township, Ocean Gate, Island Heights, Seaside Heights and Seaside Park.

The budget voters turned down called for the elimination of 11 employees, including nine teachers and two buildings and grounds employees. Freshman sports and home economics classes were also cut.

O'Shea said he understood the position of Seaside Park officials, who disagree with the state funding formula for school districts. Seaside Park officials, with the exception of Business Administrator Robert Martucci, were not present during the public portions of the previous two meetings.

"Unfortunately, it's sort of misdirected," he said. "They are trying to take it out on the operating budget of the school district."

Most of tonight's meeting, which starts at 6 p.m., will take place in closed session.

"The only thing we will announce tonight is if we are going to appeal," O'Shea said.