Sports, activities at risk P'burg school budget. Proposed spending plan would cut jobs, many after-school activities. Wednesday, March 26, 2008 • By ANDREA EILENBERGER • The Express-Times PHILLIPSBURG | Shortly before adopting Phillipsburg School District's proposed $59.6 million budget Tuesday night, board President Paul Rummerfield said the spending plan maintains as many staff members and programs as possible. But to close an initial $10 million budget gap, school officials propose eliminating 61 staff positions and making cuts on everything, including activities, athletics, supplies and textbooks. "To say that it was a long and trying experience would be an understatement," Rummerfield said. Some potential cuts include eliminating seventh- and eighth-grade sports, except wrestling and girls field hockey, and a roughly 50 percent cut of clubs and organizations at the middle and high school levels. While cuts are proposed, the district will maintain and enhance certain academic programs, including for freshmen and sophomores. Acting Superintendent George Chando said the key throughout the budget process was to prioritize. Educational quality for students and teachers is the district's underlying goal, he said. He listed several items as budget priorities, including improving literacy at all levels, continuing the early childhood program for full-day preschool for all 3- and 4-year-olds, continuing in-class support programs for special education and maintaining the alternative education program. Under the proposed plan, 38.6 teaching, seven professional support staff, three administrators or supervisors and 12.4 nonprofessional positions would be cut. Some of those figures include positions that would not be filled upon retirement and positions that were only proposed. Other positions include assistant coaching jobs at the high school. District officials stressed those numbers could change and said they are still exploring their options. A property owner with a home assessed at $100,000 will pay an additional $90 a year in school property taxes. School district voters will weigh in April 15. "This hopefully is the worst-case scenario," Rummerfield said. A district parent who asked if the board would elaborate on the positions up for possible reductions was told that it would be premature to say. Rummerfield and Chando said that while they have a general idea of the positions that could be affected, the process isn't complete. That issue needs to be considered by the board's personnel committee and options are still being evaluated, they said. Phillipsburg Education Association President Barbara English said she doesn't have further specifics about possible staffing cuts. The total amount of proposed staff changes is roughly 10 percent of the number of members in the association, she said. The Phillipsburg Education Association includes teachers, paraprofessionals, security staff, secretaries and maintenance and custodial workers. She and other association members will encourage the community to approve the district's proposed budget, she said. The biggest expense in the capital projects budget is $220,000 for boilers -- one for the Barber School and the other for the Howell School. Reporter Andrea Eilenberger can be reached at 610-258-7171 or by e-mail at aeilenberger@express-times.com.