Kinnelon District Still Waiting on State Aid Figures

During his supterintendent's report at Wednesday's Kinnelon Board of Education meeting, Superintendent Jim Opiekun told the board he was hoping to be able to share information on how much state aid the school district would be receiving this year, but that it was not yet made available.

Opiekun told the board and members of the public that school districts were expecting the information almost immediately following Gov. Chris Christie's budget address Tuesday. Business Administrator Jim Minkewicz followed up with the state and was informed the information should be available on Thursday.

Opiekun said that while he had heard that there will be a modest increase in state aid this year, the information is merely "hypothetical" until confirmed. At the same time, Opiekun informed the board that despite deciding to eliminate a budget vote in the district and planning to keep the budget under the state-mandated 2 percent cap, the board still must submit a preliminary budget to the county by March 5. The board must also hold a public hearing on the preliminary budget by March 29.

"Although it represents a spending plan, it's not the final spending plan," Opiekun said.

But until the district receives information on state aid, Opiekun said the board's Finance Committee cannot begin drafting the preliminary budget. The committee is planning to meet Thursday evening and Opiekun said the district should have more information at that point. The full board also scheduled an additional meeting on Feb. 28 at 8 p.m. to vote on the preliminary budget so that it can be submitted by the March 5 deadline.

Patch will have updates on this story.