Schools

The Show Will Go On

Central Regional Board of Ed reinstates annual spring play

 The annual spring high school play - cut from the Central Regional school district budget after voters nixed the tax levy in the school board elections - is back on.

Board of Education members decided to put the play back in at a recent meeting, after receiving a petition with 340 signatures from parents, staff and students asking that the spring play be reinstated.

The play was restored without using any of the extra state aid the district recently received from the state Department of Education, Business Administrator Kevin O'Shea said.

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"We've been able to restore a couple of programs," O'Shea said after the meeting. "I wish we could have done more."

This year's production of "Peter Pan" was more expensive than most plays, since the school had to rent flying apparatus for the play, said drama club director  Rosemary Shivers.

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It cost $10,000 to rent the equipment. But the ticket sales for the play totaled $12,800, which more than made up the cost, she said.

District officials also decided not to charge a fee for students who take the late bus home after sports and other extra-curricular activities. The funds for the spring play and the late bus costs will be recouped from savings on the massive solar panel system that should be up and running by the time school opens, O'Shea said.

The recent decisions mark the end of a tumultuous budget year. The $27,489,152 tax levy portion of the $33,252,531 2011-2012 budget failed by 101 votes in the April 27 school board election.

That meant the governing bodies in all five sending towns had to review the defeated budget and suggest possible cuts.

The budget voters turned down already 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. Those cuts still stand, O'Shea said.

Seaside Park officials came in with suggested budget cuts of $3 million, which prompted angry responses from Board of Education members. Seaside Park later lowered the number to $1.5 million, then down to $815,239. Board members reluctantly voted to accept the last cut.

District officials then had to make additional cuts.

The final cuts include two math teachers, one special education teacher, one physical ed teacher, and one science teacher, all of which are open positions, O'Shea has said.

Schools Superintendent Triantafillos "Tom" Parlapanides said he will do whatever it takes to get the 2012-2013 budget passed next year. The five sending towns include Berkeley Township, Ocean Gate, Island Heights, Seaside Heights and Seaside Park

"We need more alumni to drag their friends here," he said at the board meeting. "We need our alumni. Every year we graduate 300 kids."


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