The Livingston Board of Education held a budget discussion at its April 5 meeting.The meeting was a hybrid format held in-person and on Zoom. It can also be viewed on the Livingston Township, NJ Facebook page.Superintendent Matthew Block shared a presentation answering some of the Board’s previous concerns, including mental health spending, humanities teachers, and technology coaches.Board members previously requested information on how much of the budget will be appropriated to mental health resources. The estimated mental health expenses for the 2021-2022 school year totals $8,360,000. The proposed budget for 2022-2023 currently allocates $10,180,000 toward mental health. Block explained that they can offer this additional funding because of the ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) grant the district has received.“As you can see, our appropriations have grown from 2021 to 2022 significantly, and there is a good amount of the budget that is appropriated for mental health,” Block said. “In addition, this year we have been able to offer additional services because of the ESSER fund grants.”Block provided data to demonstrate the need for additional humanities teachers. There are currently 15 humanities sections, an increase of 25 percent from the previous year. The 15 sections are being shared among six teachers. Next year, there is a projected increase of 40 percent, which would result in 21 sections. Enrollment is expected to increase over the next two years as well.“It’s just that we’re at a crux right now of significant growth, and then we’ll be able to use those teachers,” Block said. “As I’ve also said to the Board, if as scheduling finishes, we find we can work with the teachers that we have, we would always use the teachers that we have first and we will only add teachers if that was necessary.”Block also shared information to help justify hiring new technology coaches. Currently, technology coaches serve two different schools and they have to travel. The 2022-2023 budget includes money allocated toward hiring additional technology coaches, so each school will have its own full-time technology coach.“It’s a busy job,” Block said. “I think the tech coaches would tell you now that there’s a lot that they do. That is why we’re asking to add additional people to the position, because doing all of that in two different schools is extremely difficult.”One issue raised by the Board was the efficiency of current committee organization. Board president Seth Cohen said some ...
