Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Average assessed township homeowner would pay $336 more in municipal taxes under proposed plan.
Livingston residents got a preview of the proposed 2012-13 school budget on Monday night, which would expand some academic programs, enhance technology in the district and make some building repairs at all schools. Under the plan, overall spending will go up about 2.6 percent, or $2.67 million, from $101.6 million to $104.2 million. The proposed tax levy - the amount of money raised from local taxes - would go up by about 1.6 percent, or $1.48 million, from $90 million to $91.5 million under the proposal. The tax rate may go from $1.27 to $1.33 per $100 of assessed value. The average Livingston homeowner with at home assessed at $601,877 would pay an additional $336 in municipal taxes under the proposed budget. Superintendent Brad …
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Before you head out to vote, here are some things you need to know.
Livingston residents can make their voices heard Wednesday when they choose one new Board of Education member -- Barry Funt or Ray Leibman – and approve the amount to be raised by the local school tax to support the spending plan for Livingston schools. Before you head out to vote, here are some things you need to know: When and Where Can I Vote? Polls open at 1 p.m. and close at 9 p.m. The Livingston Community Center and the six elementary schools are designated polling places. If you do not know where you should vote you may either find the information on your official Essex County sample ballot that was mailed to all homes, or call the Township Hall or our Board of Education office. You may also visit the New Jersey Division of …
Monday, April 25, 2011
Town Hall forum on school spending is Monday night; Voters go to polls on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, voters in Livingston will have a voice in charting the direction of their schools. They will chose between Barry Funt and Ray Leibman to serve on the Livingston Board of Education. Voters will also be asked to approve the amount to be raised by the local school tax to support the $100.6 million spending plan for Livingston schools. A Town Hall Meeting on the proposed school budget will take place tonight, April 25, at 7 p.m. in the Livingston High School auditorium. This is the final opportunity to ask Superintendent Dr. Brad Draeger and Steve Robinson, the district’s business administrator, budget-related questions in person prior to the Annual School Election. The budget does not cut any programs or services. The school …
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
School board is reluctant to count on state aid as Supreme Court examines funding for schools.
Livingston school officials, uncertain how the state’s highest court will ultimately judge the constitutionality of Gov. Christie’s deep statewide education cuts, decided Monday to increase local property taxes higher than expected. The school board said it was reluctant to count on $917,000 in state aid. Members said they fear losing the money because of a judicial report last week that cast doubt on Christie’s cuts. “Stranger things have happened in the state of New Jersey,” said Steven K. Robinson, the district's business administrator. Livingston had penciled in a portion of the state aid to offset some local property tax increases. Instead, taxes will go up more than expected. For the average Livingston homeowner, the tax bill will …
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
A computer-savvy teacher shows how technology is used in her classroom.
School leaders got to the root of technology on Monday night for a lesson on document cameras, a popular piece of technology being used in classrooms. On Monday night, in the Heritage Middle School media center, the class was the Livingston Board of Education, learning first-hand about the technology they propose to buy with state aid – and a little about plant life as well. Diana Yellen, a fourth-grade teacher at Burnet Hill, and Mary Oates, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, demonstrated the variety of lesson plans they teach with this tech tool. It’s basically a mounted camera attached to a digital projector that allows teachers to display books, magazines, writing samples -- and even objects like fossils and …
Monday, March 14, 2011
What do you think of the school board's plan to spend state aid on technology?
Livingston is debating pouring its state aid into technology's newest gadgets, including laptops, document cameras and interactive white boards. Read through the latest news on EdTech and the possibilities to expand learning opportunities seem endless, from virtual global field trips to video conferencing. But there’s a groundswell of argument in Livingston that the money be earmarked to restore programs cut last year (Spanish in Grades K-3) or outsourced, including a gifted and talented program, middle school sports, and paraprofessionals – the teaching aides who work with children with physical needs and challenging behaviors in the classroom. School leaders are meeting with members of the community to talk about the numbers and their …
Monday, March 7, 2011
School leaders will vote on the tentative $100.6M plan Monday night
You’ll get a first chance to learn about the specifics on school spending beginning on Monday night when the school board votes on a tentative $100.6 million budget for Livingston’s public schools. The budget is posted on the district’s Web site here and may be found here. So what’s up? And where has money gone down? Here are 5 Things to get you started on understanding the school budget. 1. What’s Up? Related Costs for Regular Instruction, up $631,484 to $2.2 million. 2. What’s Down? Special Education, by 5.1 percent to $5.28 million. 3. What’s Up? Tuition Paid Out of District, to $7.5M, an increase of close to $500,000. 4. What’s Down? Athletics, while nearly $1 million, it’s down about $35,000. 5. What’s Up? Administrative …
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Task force is continuing its work Tuesday on writing a strategic plan for Livingston schools.
Teachers, education leaders and parents continued work Tuesday on a vision plan for Livingston schools. The group was working with consultant Dr. William Attea on a draft of five-year goals that will be include new ways to use technology and teach special education students. “Special education is on the front burner,” said Attea, a former superintendent of schools in Illinois and a founding partner of Hazard, Young, Attea & Associates, a firm hired to assist the work of the district’s strategic planning task force. The plan will also put more emphasis as using technology as a learning tool in classrooms. “The No. 1 request of six-year-olds this year is an iPad,” Attea said. “That shows you where we’re at.” The task force is also exploring …
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Thirty Four
3:05 pm on Tuesday, February 14, 2012
What if a poor judgment student sends an inappropriate email to a web board having a stamp from @livingston.org and that is gone viral? Generally, the district will be required to retain all email messages for a period of time for law enforcement investigation. Think about how many gigabyte each student will use considering picture and video files that a student may send to others. That will … more ›