Local Wal-Mart honors educator 5/31/05

Collings Lakes Elementary School special education teacher Mary Jo Capone was named Hammonton Wal-Mart's Teacher of the Year. She is surrounded by her fourth- and fifth-grade students (from left) Milton White, 10, Alexis Morrison, 11, Stephan Chin, 11, Zaire Rogers, 10, George Calverley, 10, Manley Williams, 12, Alberto Medina, 11, Alexander Martinez, 10, Ciara Thompson, 12, and John Reynolds, 10.

BUENA VISTA --When Mary Jo Capone was a child, her mother and father were foster parents for a Catholic social services agency.

"Every year they would bring a baby home to raise until the child could be adopted," Capone, said. "My parents had eight children of their own, and we all loved kids. Whenever we saw the new baby, we'd get so excited -- it was like getting a present."

Capone, who teaches special education at Collings Lakes Elementary School, was recently named the Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year by the Hammonton Wal-Mart. The award comes with a $1,000 grant that Capone says she will use on various educational supplies.

In helping her parents raise those children, Capone, 42, of Pitman said she realized that children labeled as developmentally disabled and unlikely to overcome their disability can often learn like a normal youngster if they receive the right kind of attention.

"We had one little girl who was considered mentally retarded and who would never be able to walk," Capone said. "One day when I came home from school, she was standing up with her little feet on my father's shoes, walking as he walked. They were dancing together. He taught her how to walk unaided."

As a teen, Capone participated in a career path program that allowed her to work with special education children attending the local grammar school.

"A lot of them were considered bad kids, but as I got to know them I realized this was just a front and that I had a way of reaching and teaching them," Capone said. "Dealing with these kids made me realize what I wanted to do -- become a special education teacher."

After graduating Glassboro State College -- now Rowan University -- Capone worked for one year in the Lindenwald School District to fill in for a teacher on maternity leave. In 1985, she joined Buena Regional School District. She has spent the past eight years at Collings Lakes.

Amy Collins, president of the school's Parent-Teacher Organization, wrote a letter to the management of the Hammonton Wal-Mart nominating Capone for the honor.

"She described Mary Jo's wonderful sense of compassion and incredible way with her students," said Daniel Benedetto, the principal of Collings Lakes.

Capone said she works with each of her 11 students closely to help them develop to their fullest potential.

"We once had one girl with cerebral palsy confined to a wheelchair," Capone said. "She wanted to participate in the American Heart Association's annual Jump Rope Jumpathon, where each of the students gets a sponsor and jumps rope to raise funds for the American Heart Association but felt she couldn't with her disability."

Capone convinced her to hold the rope while other students jumped.

"This way, she was able to participate," Capone said. "She got a sponsor and raised money. She was so happy."

Capone's love of her students seems to be fully returned.

"She does a lot of good things," said John Reynolds, 10, adding one of his favorite moments was when Capone took her class to Hershey Park, an amusement park in Pennsylvania. "I loved it."

Ciara Thompson, 12, of Newtonville said Capone made learning fun.

"She has a party for each of our birthdays," Ciara said. "When we finish with our work, she lets us watch movies or play."

Capone will receive a certificate of appreciation for outstanding work at Buena Regional's next school board meeting June 7.

School District to fill in for a teacher on maternity leave. In 1985, she joined Buena Regional School District. She has spent the past eight years at Collings Lakes.

Amy Collins, president of the school's Parent-Teacher Organization, wrote a letter to the management of the Hammonton Wal-Mart nominating Capone for the honor.

"She described Mary Jo's wonderful sense of compassion and incredible way with her students," said Daniel Benedetto, the principal of Collings Lakes.

Capone said she works with each of her 11 students closely to help them develop to their fullest potential.

"We once had one girl with cerebral palsy confined to a wheelchair," Capone said. "She wanted to participate in the American Heart Association's annual Jump Rope Jumpathon, where each of the students gets a sponsor and jumps rope to raise funds for the American Heart Association but felt she couldn't with her disability."

Capone convinced her to hold the rope while other students jumped.

"This way, she was able to participate," Capone said. "She got a sponsor and raised money. She was so happy."

Capone's love of her students seems to be fully returned.

"She does a lot of good things," said John Reynolds, 10, adding one of his favorite moments was when Capone took her class to Hershey Park, an amusement park in Pennsylvania. "I loved it."

Ciara Thompson, 12, of Newtonville said Capone made learning fun.

"She has a party for each of our birthdays," Ciara said. "When we finish with our work, she lets us watch movies or play."

Capone will receive a certificate of appreciation for outstanding work at Buena Regional's next school board meeting June 7.

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District tackling health care costs ~ Increase in benefits annual problem 5/26/05

BUENA VISTA -- As with most area school districts, health insurance and prescription costs for the Buena Regional school system have gone up considerably over the past year.

Tom Kearney, the school district's business administrator, said Wednesday that health policy premiums are expected to rise about 9.5 percent for the 2005-06 school year.

Paying for health benefit increases has become an annual problem for school districts, officials have said. The New Jersey Education Association long has insisted on keeping the costs of health benefits totally on the employer.

Budget difficulties sometimes stem from having to balance teacher benefits with education costs and keeping the tax rate down for residents.

Medical costs in Buena Regional were $2.6 million for 2004-05 and covered 318 employees, compared to the $2.9 million projected for the coming year and its 331 employees.

This is an increase of $250,655, Kearney explained.

There was also a 19.8-percent rise in the prescription plan rates. Last year, the cost was $880,084, as opposed to an anticipated $1,054,341 next year.

Dental plan costs will remain at $295,854 -- the same as last year.

Kearney said the dental insurance carrier, Delta Dental, originally wanted to raise costs 10 percent.

"We threatened to go elsewhere if they didn't make a reasonable adjustment," Kearney.

"So we agreed to a two year contract and they agreed to a zero percent increase for 2005-06 and a 4.1 percent increase for 2006-07. Letting them know of our intentions saved us $29,000 in dental insurance costs for next year."

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Buena Regional state aid meeting scheduled for July 5/26/05

"With our school tax situation, our residents are bleeding and bleeding heavily. They can't afford it." -- BUENA MAYOR JOSEPH BARUFFI

BUENA VISTA -- A long-sought meeting with the state Commissioner of Education to discuss the possibility of special needs financial aid for Buena Regional School District will be held in July, officials said Wednesday.

Buena Mayor Joseph Baruffi confirmed that a meeting with Commissioner William Librera will take place July 12 at 1:30 p.m. and will consist of requests by the district for "some special funding, whatever it is called," to be given to the beleaguered district.

School Superintendent Diane DeGiacomo, Buena Vista Mayor Chuck Chiarello, state Sen. Nicholas Asselta, Assemblymen Jeff Van Drew and John Gibson and Atlantic County Superintendent Daniel Loggi will be present at the meeting.

"With our school tax situation, our residents are bleeding and bleeding heavily," Baruffi said. "They can't afford it. Proving us worthy of the aid is the main thing. I know the plight of our towns and our district and we are fully prepared to plead our case, whether it be through Abbott designation or other special needs funding."

On June 15, Buena Regional and three other districts facing serious fiscal problems will go before the Education Department's legal committee for a hearing on Abbott designation status.

"We could know right away whether they recognize us as an Abbott District," DeGiacomo said. "The Fairfield, Woodbine and Commercial school districts will also be there for the same kind of determination."

Vineland and Millville might lose their Abbott designation status along with 11 other school districts if recently proposed criteria changes are adopted. That possibility is "intertwined" with the Buena Regional's hope, DeGiacomo said.

An analysis by the nonpartisan state Office of Legislative Services is one interpretation of a 2003 proposal for a revision in requirements for Abbott status, but is not a final list, Librera said. The designations are subject to lawmaker approval.

The Abbott designation criteria that could be changed, according to the OLS report, include:

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Buena Regional gets Abbott meeting 5/26/05

Now that Buena Regional's budget dispute has been resolved, the district can turn its attention back to its attempts to secure Abbott status.

School officials, local elected officials and southern New Jersey legislators are scheduled to meet with New Jersey Education Commissioner William Librera on July 12, according to Buena Borough Mayor Joseph Baruffi.

Baruffi hopes the district can persuade Librera to recommend Abbott, or special-needs, status for Buena Regional. Earning that status would enable the district to tap into additional state funding for both educational and building programs.

The cash-strapped district has been plagued by rising tax levies as costs for the school system have climbed and state aid has remained flat.

Baruffi and other local officials have argued that the district's lack of ratables and opportunities for economic development make it impossible for residents to keep up with rising costs and requirements.

"I think this is great news for the district," Baruffi said. "We need to stop the bleeding."

Librera overruled an earlier administrative law judge finding that Buena Regional qualified for Abbott status because the district's test scores were too high. The district has appealed that decision, and a ruling on that appeal could be forthcoming in June.

In March, the district was among 30 in the state deemed "In Need of Improvement" under the federal No Child Left Behind Act because of falling test scores.

But Librera insisted that the district's petition for Abbott status would wait until after its 2005-06 budget was finalized.

Four consecutive budgets have been voted down by district residents leery of tax increases. The latest proposed $34 million budget was cut by $450,000.

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Fog lifts for grads at St. Augustine 5/23/05

RICHLAND -- As his audience listened, Michael Petrongolo Jr. gave a welcoming address Sunday at St. Augustine Preparatory School's 43rd commencement.

Petrongolo, a 17-year-old from Washington Township who was the top student in this year's graduating class, will enter Notre Dame University in the fall and is considering a career in engineering. During his address, he said that like most of his 103 classmates at the all-male prep school, he started as a freshman in a fog of uncertainty.

"By the time we were ready to graduate, the fog lifted and the answers appeared," Petrongolo said. "We have expanded our minds and our horizons and our teachers helped us. We learned about the workings of the human soul. Boys are transformed into men at St. Augustine's."

Petrongolo, who is on the school president's honors list for having an A-plus average and is a National Honor Society member, walked off the podium with just about every award the school had to offer. He received awards in mathematics, science, Latin, English and technology, along with the school's Academic and President's awards.

Kyle Myers was cited for his humanitarian project -- he helped a single mother of three, one of whom has a rare form of skin cancer, who was working two jobs to get a second-hand minivan.

"She was barely making ends meet, had no car and had to walk two miles each way to work," said Janice Deary, the school's dean of administration. "Kyle heard about her and raised $6,000 to buy the minivan and one year's worth of car insurance. This is why we have recognized him with our Christian Gentleman award."

Myers was one of seven seniors, including Petrongolo, who received the award.

After a Baccalaureate Mass led by school president the Rev. Paul W. Galetto, David Vannoni sang "The Cross of Love." He was followed by Anthony Sentore II, who sang "O Sole Mio" before Joshua Kolojeski played the piano. All three received a standing ovation.

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St. Augustine wins South Jersey golf title 5/19/05

EWING TOWNSHIP - The greens may have been slow at Mountain View Golf Course on Wednesday, but that didn't stop St. Augustine Prep from winning the South Jersey Non-Public A championship.

The Hermits - who shot 308 on the par 72 (35-37) course that played over 6,600 yards - earned a berth in the Tournament of Championships on May 23 at Burlington Country Club.

St. Augustine, which is ranked No. 2 in The Press Elite 11, placed three of its top four with scores in the seventies with all four players in the top five. The Hermits are the only Press-area team to qualify for the Tournament of Champions.

Heading into the tournament, St. Augustine heard other players asking questions as to why they are ranked as high as they are.

"Now our kids can talk the talk," St. Augustine coach Len Dolson said. "The kids always hear that you're ranked this in the paper, but with our scores today we showed why we are ranked where we are."

Matt Matalucci shot two-over par 74 to earn medalist honors, Mark Edmondson tied for second but finished in third on a match of cards with a 76, Dom Petrongolo shot 78 for fourth and Tony Sentore shot 80 and tied for the fifth best score but finished sixth on a match of cards.

A match of cards breaks a tie by looking at each individuals' scorecard. Whoever has the best hole first, beginning with No. 1 breaks the tie.

"I'm happy for (Matt) Matalucci that's one of his best rounds in the tournament," Dolson said. "He's usually 80, 81 in the tournaments, but 74 is a great round for him."

Matalucci credits his ballstriking for his winning round on Wednesday.

"I hit 10 or 11 fairways, 13 greens," Matalucci said. "When I missed greens I would get up and down most of the time."

Matalucci birdied three of his last four holes and didn't three-putt once throughout his round, which was key.

Edmondson birdied three of his last five holes to claim a top-five finish.

"I couldn't make a putt but I hit my irons very well today," Edmondson said. "It's nice to say we're South Jersey champions, but we want the state and Tournament of Champions too, so it's not over yet."

While waiting for the scores to come in the Hermits anxiously watched the scoreboard. They weren't worried about if they were going to qualify for the Tournament of Champions, but were looking at scores from the northern New Jersey schools to see how they measure up.

North Bergen won the North Jersey Non-Public A title with a 304, only four strokes better than St. Augustine.

The players then discussed what they could do better and are confident that they can put together another good team performance at the Tournament of Champions.

"We'll all be out there practicing over the next few days, working on what needs to get done until Monday," Dolson said. "We're going to go up to there (Burlington Country Club) Sunday night and walk it and get ready."

St. Augustine will also have to compete against Bishop Eustace, which had three scores of two-over par or better to lead them to the South Jersey Non-Public B championship.

Matt Raudenbush shot one-under 71 to take medalist honors and he had the lowest round of the day. Teammates Steve Sieracki and Mike O'Keefe shot 72 and 74 respectively and Mike Dwier rounded out the Crusaders scoring with an 81 for a team total of 298.

Cameron Sweeney of Holy Spirit had the lowest round from Press-area schools and the Spartans had the lowest team total (344) in the Non-Public B sectional to finish in fourth place.

Brian Barsuglia of Sacred Heart and Charles DeSorte of St. Joseph, who qualified for Wednesday's tournament as individuals, shot a 91 and 101, respectively.

South Non-Public A

Teams

1. St. Augustine 308

x- 2. Christian Brothers Academy 331

3. Red Bank Catholic 331

x- wins on third playoff hole

Individuals

1. Matt Matalucci, St. Augustine 74

t-2. Jason Cruz, CBA 76

t-2. Mark Edmondson, St. Augustine 76

4. Dom Petrongolo, St. Augustine 78

t-5. Nick Szem, CBA 80

t-5. Tony Sentore, St. Augustine 80

South Non-Public B

Teams

1. Bishop Eustace 298

2. St. Rose 320

3. Gloucester Catholic 332

4. Holy Spirit 344 (Cameron Sweeney 82, Kenny Condon 87, Jake Samuels 87, Brett Bertoni 88)

5. Wildwood Catholic 365 (Dillon Mullock 84, Nick Orlando 85, Elis Massood 94, Shane Seabrook 102)

Individuals

1. Matt Raudenbush, Bishop Eustace 71

t-2. Steve Sieracki, Bishop Eustace 72

t-2. Nick LaBanca, St. Rose 72

4. Mike O'Keefe, Bishop Eustace 74

5. Ryan Cass, Gloucester Catholic 79

Also finished:

Brian Barsuglia, Sacred Heart 91

Charles DeSorte, St. Joseph 101

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Voice of the People 5/19/05

School stats

may be skewed

After reading the May 5 article on school violence and substance abuse, it was apparent that proper perspective would be better served by ranking local schools by incidents per thousand students:

Atlantic City had 24.34 incidents per 1,000 and ranked second for violence; for substance abuse, it had 3.25 incidents per 1,000 and ranked fifth.

Buena Regional had 22.73 incidents and ranked fourth for violence; for substance abuse, it had 6.66 incidents and ranked third.

Egg Harbor Township had 13.5 incidents and ranked sixth for violence; for substance abuse, it had 2.27 incidents and ranked sixth.

Greater Egg Harbor Regional had 22.45 incidents and ranked fifth for violence; for substance abuse, it had 8.76 incidents and ranked second.

Mainland Regional had 23.31 incidents and ranked third for violence; it had 17.2 incidents and ranked first for substance abuse.

Pleasantville had 39.92 incidents and ranked first for violence; it had 4.28 incidents and ranked fourth for substance abuse.

Pleasantville leads in violence and is almost twice the second-ranked school. The same holds true for Mainland Regional, which leads in substance abuse and is twice the incidence of the second-ranked school. I suspect that a significant portion of this is

due to discrepancies in reporting and that these two schools are victims of their conscientious systems.

DR. VINCENT R. MOLONEY

Egg Harbor Township

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Buena board accepts plan for working with less cash 5/18/05

What it means

Some budget cuts the school district plans:

BUENA VISTA -- Buena Regional Board of Education members on Tuesday reluctantly agreed to cut $450,000 from the 2005-06 budget that voters last month deemed too expensive.

Homeowners in the two communities who pay property taxes to the school district, Buena Vista and Buena Borough, will still experience tax hikes in the hundreds of dollars in most cases.

No staff will lose their jobs and no academic programs will be cut under the revised plan. Two vacant positions, including a social studies teaching post at Cleary Middle School, won't be filled. And in one late addition, the board restored an evening librarian position at the high school.

School business administrator Tom Kearney indicated the district is in a state of near fiscal collapse due to its dangerously low budget surplus of $280,000.

"So far, we've been able to juggle things," he said. "But if we get a few special-needs students who require schooling outside the district, we have to pay for it. Some of these costs can run $100,000 per pupil. And what we have in the surplus now won't cover it."

Board president David Anderson said the surplus figure was under the $700,000 recommended amount for a district this size.

He also expressed worries about cuts to maintenance spending, noting part of a roof had collapsed recently in one of the schools in an incident that resulted in no injuries.

The school board voted 10-2 to accept the $450,000 budget reductions that the Buena Borough Council and Buena Vista Township Committee proposed in resolutions passed earlier Tuesday evening. Had the district not accepted the cuts, it would have had to appeal to the state education commissioner.

Voters last month rejected the spending plan by a more than 2-1 margin. The new spending plan includes $10.8 million raised through taxes.

Under the new plan, the owner of a home assessed at $100,000 would pay an extra $273 this year in Buena or $387 in Buena Vista; that's $56 less than what those taxpayers would have paid under the defeated budget.

The school board approved the slimmer budget in a 10-2 vote.

Doug Adams, the board's finance chairman, said he voted against it because he didn't believe cuts of this magnitude would be helpful.

"We need help from the state for more funding," Adams noted. "We have a school district that is suffocating itself every time it cuts the budget."

Board member Barbara Jargowsky said she voted against them because "we're tearing this district apart and it has to stop somewhere."

Harry Benson, a Buena Vista resident and semiretired computer science instructor who attended the board meeting, called the budget process a "difficult" one.

"State funding to school districts like ours has been flat for years," Benson said. "So this makes the budget process much harder each year. Hopefully, the state will start giving us the kind of funding we're entitled to."

Carolyn Popa, a township resident who retired from the district as a high school library assistant five years ago, said she wished the defeated budget had passed.

"It should have been approved without any cuts," Popa said. "Since I retired, my position was not filled. The school library is being run by only one person, which is ridiculous. One person can't do the job adequately."

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Buena Regional Board accepts budget cuts 5/18/05

The cuts are now official.

The Buena Regional Board of Education on Tuesday approved $450,000 in cuts for the district's proposed 2005-06 school year budget over the strong objections from district officials. The original $34 million budget had been overwhelmingly voted down April 19 by district residents.

Just one hour before the board's vote, elected officials in both Buena Borough and Buena Vista Township finalized the cuts. More than $200,000 will be culled from vacant staff positions the district has not yet filled. Municipal officials are also asking for belt-tightening measures in maintenance, health care and overtime costs.

Township Mayor Chuck Chiarello said the district should be able to save money by replacing retirees with less expensive new hires and cutting unfilled positions. He repeated assurances made Monday that no current staff members would be laid off.

"No jobs will be lost," Chiarello said. "And no programs will be cut."

But at the Board of Education meeting, Buena Regional Superintendent Diane DeGiacomo warned that staff lost through attrition could not be replaced with smaller budgets.

"You say you're not cutting jobs and you're not cutting programs," DeGiacomo said. "But in fact that's what you're doing."

Four consecutive budgets have been voted down and sent back for cuts. All of them had hefty tax increases that have been blamed on flat state aid, a lack of tax ratables, and a slew of rising costs ranging from health care to maintenance expenses.

The latest rejected budget called for a $434 increase for a Buena Vista resident with a $100,000 home. A borough resident with a similar home would have paid $329 more.

The proposed cuts should trim about $56 off property taxes in both municipalities.

If the board did not approve the cuts before May 19, the state would have decided Buena Regional's final budget.

The fear of what the state might cut is part of what prompted seven of nine board members to reluctantly vote in favor of the cuts. Doug Adams and Barbara Jargowsky voted against the proposal.

"We saved people a buck a day," said board member Michael Anderson. "People don't seem to want an education for their kids."

Buena Regional Business Administrator Thomas Kearney warned that with this year's cuts the district could face a cash-flow problem because it receives aid from government sources at set times each school year. The district could be pushed into a deficit if it encounters unexpected expenses, such as being forced to cover special education costs for students who leave the area.

"We're not permitted to be in a deficit," Kearney said. "The state would require the municipalities to raise an additional tax levy to cover the deficit."

The budget's approval does allow district officials to pursue the designation of Abbott, or special needs, status.

State Department of Education Commissioner William Librera has said the district's petition for Abbott status will wait until after its 2005-06 budget is finalized.

Earning Abbott status would enable the district to tap into a wellspring for state funds for both educational and building programs.

Librera overruled a finding that Buena Regional qualified because the district's test scores were too high.

But in March, Buena Regional was among 30 New Jersey districts deemed "In Need of Improvement" under the federal No Child Left Behind Act because of falling test scores.

"It's something we need," said Buena Vista Township resident Harry Benson. "Costs have gone up but state funding has not."

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Officials to draw up budgetary reductions 5/17/05

What's next

BUENA VISTA -- Municipal officials tonight plan to slash $450,000 from Buena Regional School District's 2005-06 budget, but school leaders haven't decided whether they'll fight the cost-cutting move.

Buena Borough Council and Buena Vista Township Committee will meet at 5 p.m. tonight and pass identical resolutions detailing how they want the district to cut its $29.1 million spending plan, which voters overwhelmingly rejected in April, according to the mayors of both communities.

"Once each resolution is written, it will be immediately faxed to the school board," Buena Mayor Joseph Baruffi said. "Then it's up to them whether they accept or reject it."

The expected cuts equal 5.6 cents off the tax rates proposed in the original budget; that means a $56 reduction for the owner of a home assessed at $100,000. Still, that homeowner would see a $377 school tax hike this year in the township, or a $273 increase in the borough, under the slashed budget.

The district has two choices: accept whatever amount of cuts the two towns call for in their resolutions, or file an appeal with the state education commissioner, who has the final say. Wednesday is the deadline to decide.

School Superintendent Diane DeGiacomo said Monday afternoon that district officials didn't know whether they would appeal the cuts, and said she wasn't sure whether $450,000 would be the final amount. Both mayors said the number would not change.

"I'm concerned about the integrity of the educational programs in the school district and its long-range financial status," DeGiacomo said, explaining her concerns about the possible cuts.

She said the school board, which meets at 6 tonight, hasn't reached a decision about whether to appeal cuts but expected to have that answer once it receives copies of the resolutions passed by the two municipalities.

"We should get both of them by 5:15 p.m. at the latest," DeGiacomo said. "That'll give us plenty of time to make a decision by the time our meeting starts."

Doug Adams, the school board's finance chairman, said he was awaiting a report from Business Administrator Tom Kearney's to ascertain whether the district can provide a sound education to its students without the $450,000.

In the event the board opts to turn the budget over to the state education commissioner, Buena Vista Mayor Chuck Chiarello indicated he would approve of that decision.

"I think it would be beneficial to have another set of eyes looking at the budget," Chiarello said. "The two towns are in agreement, but all three parties have to be in agreement in order to move forward."

Municipal officials have not said publicly how they think the district could save $450,000, but said their proposed cuts would not affect existing jobs or academic programs. The district can accept the amount but apply the cuts to parts of the budget other than those recommended by the municipalities.

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Municipal officials to seek $450,000 in budget cuts from Buena Regional 5/17/05

Buena Vista Township and Buena Borough officials will likely ask for an approximately $450,000 cut from the proposed Buena Regional School District budget today.

Borough Mayor Joseph Baruffi and township Mayor Chuck Chiarello said Monday the exact cuts won't be finalized until today. But they also expressed confidence that elected officials in both municipalities would agree to them.

If approved at simultaneous municipal meetings at 5 p.m. today, the proposed cuts would be forwarded to the Buena Regional Board of Education, which is also meeting today at 6 p.m.

The district's proposed $34 million budget for the 2005-06 school year was overwhelmingly voted down by district residents April 19. If the board does not approve the cuts before May 19, the state gets to decide Buena Regional's final budget.

Four consecutive budgets have been voted down. All of them had hefty tax increases, which have been blamed on flat state aid, a lack of tax ratables and a slew of rising costs ranging from health care to maintenance expenses.

The latest rejected budget called for a $434 increase for a Buena Vista resident with a $100,000 home. A borough resident with a similar home would have paid $329 more.

The proposed cuts should trim about $56 off property taxes in both municipalities.

Chiarello said the cuts being discussed are reasonable given the size of the proposed budget and that no current district employees are in danger of being laid off.

"There are vacant positions that haven't been filled we'd like to see eliminated," Chiarello said. "We also want to take a look at maintenance. But we're not getting rid of jobs."

Some have warned that the district's budget can't be cut again without hurting academic standards.

Buena Regional Superintendent Diane DeGiacomo, one such critic of the cuts, could not be reached for comment Monday.

But Doug Adams, who serves as the board's vice president and the chairman of its finance committee, said he did not look favorably upon "cuts of this magnitude." Adams declined to give any other comments on the proposed cuts.

Baruffi said he's anxious to get the budget settled so the district can turn its attention to seeking Abbott, or special-needs status.

State Department of Education Commissioner William Librera has said Buena Regional's petition for Abbott status will wait until after its 2005-06 budget is finalized.

Earning Abbott status would enable the district to tap into a wellspring for state funds for both educational and building programs.

Two years ago, an administrative judge ruled that Buena Regional exhibited "socio-economic deprivation, limited educational opportunity, facility deficiency and academic underperformance" - the four criteria of an Abbott district.

Librera overruled that finding because the district's test scores were too high. But in March, Buena Regional was among 30 New Jersey districts deemed "In Need of Improvement" under the federal No Child Left Behind Act because of falling test scores.

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Mayors settle budget for Buena Regional 5/11/05

BUENA VISTA -- The mayors of Buena Vista and Buena Borough have come to an agreement on cuts to the Buena Regional School District's defeated budget, but their plan still would raise taxes by hundreds of dollars for most homeowners.

"We're recommending that $450,000 be slashed from this budget," Buena Vista Mayor Chuck Chiarello said Tuesday. "We've made a pledge that we're not going to jeopardize anyone's job or eliminate any educational programs."

The school district hasn't decided whether it would appeal those cuts.

Municipal officials declined to discuss details of the budget cuts because governing bodies for the two municipalities have not yet drafted resolutions to impose the cuts.

Voters last month rejected the district's $29.1 million spending plan by a 2-1 margin.

Here's how the owner of a $100,000 home would be affected by the reduced 2005-06 budget:

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No special-needs talks for Buena without budget 5/10/05

Buena Regional's attempt to secure Abbott status will have to wait until after the district's budget can be finalized.

Local and school officials had been scheduled to meet with state Department of Education Commissioner William Librera about the issue last week.

Instead, they pleaded their case before Atlantic County Superintendent Daniel Loggi, who forwarded their information to Librera.

They said Librera has promised to discuss Abbot, or special needs, designation, but only after the district decides on a budget.

"They said they don't want to confuse the two issues," Buena Borough Mayor Joseph Baruffi said.

District residents overwhelmingly voted down Buena Regional's proposed $34 million 2005-06 school-year budget April 19. Since then, local officials have been meeting with district officials to negotiate a revised budget.

Four consecutive budgets have been voted down. All of them had hefty tax increases, which have been blamed on flat state aid, a lack of tax ratables and rising costs.

The latest budget called for a $434 tax increase for a Buena Vista resident with a $100,000 home. A borough resident with a similar home would have paid $329 more.

Soon after the vote, Baruffi called on Librera to meet on Buena Regional's bid to secure Abbott status. He also wrote state legislators to convince them his district could not continue to bear mounting tax increases

Earning Abbott status would enable the district to tap into a wellspring for state funds for both educational and building programs.

Two years ago, an administrative law judge ruled that Buena Regional exhibited "socio-economic deprivation, limited educational opportunity, facility deficiency and academic underperformance" - the four criteria of an Abbott district.

But Librera overruled that finding, largely because district students were performing too well on state tests.

This year may be different. In March, Buena Regional was among 30 districts identified as "In Need of Improvement" under the federal No Child Left Behind law because test scores weren't high enough.

"I know we don't like to hear that, but this could help us," Baruffi said.

More state funding may also ease tensions between local officials and the school administration.

Buena Vista Mayor Chuck Chiarello has been a longstanding critic of how the district manages its budget, especially in the area of overtime for employees.

District Superintendent Diane DeGiacomo has said budget woes and the tax increases have been caused by a lack of available resources, not by district mismanagement or overspending.

A finalized budget must be submitted by May 19. If an agreement cannot be reached by then, the matter will be passed on to the state.

Local and district officials would not go into specifics about the negotiations, but they made it clear a lot of issues are still being discussed.

"I really don't know what the answer is," said DeGiacomo when pressed on whether there could be a deadlock on the budget. "We're exploring things that would be beneficial to taxpayers but not detrimental to the students."

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Prom night in Buena in Buena Class of 2005 makes memories at BRHS 5/9/05

Three-year-old Brianna Russo wants to wear Rachel Crespo's dress. She is excited to see and touch every prom dress.

Ashley Hall talks to friends and enjoys her senior prom.

Buena Regional High School students braved rain to celebrate their 2005 Senior Prom Friday night.

The high school was decked out in a Parisan landscape, complete with Eiffel Tower.

Following a promenade, which moved rather quickly, students recovered to create a memorable experience.

The seniors marked the passing of their high school years in a way they wouldn't soon forget.

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BUENA REGIONAL SCHOOLS:  Budget issue stalls case for state aid 5/7/05

BUENA VISTA -- Desperately worried by a fourth consecutive budget defeat, officials representing Buena Regional School District met with the Atlantic County Superintendent of Schools in another bid for designation as an Abbott, or special needs, district.

Superintendent Diane DeGiacomo was accompanied Tuesday by Buena Vista Mayor Chuck Chiarello and Buena Mayor Joseph Baruffi in presenting the district's case for more state educational aid to county superintendent Daniel Loggi.

DeGiacomo said Loggi would forward the information they provided to State Education Commissioner William L. Librera.

Loggi said Librera would meet with local and state officials about Abbott designation once the defeated school budget issue was resolved.

"He (Librera) didn't want the two issues mingled," DeGiacomo said. "He wants to discuss them separately."

Baruffi said the deadline is May 19 to revamp the defeated $29.1 million school budget for next year which voters turned down by a 2-1 margin last month.

Chiarello said the township was handicapped due to restrictions from the state Pinelands Commission. Ninety percent of the township is considered pinelands and therefore, environmentally protected.

"This causes us to have limited growth where business ratables are concerned," Chiarello said. "So this means that most of the burden of funding the school district lies with local taxpayers."

Chiarello said 40 percent of the township's taxpayers are of low or moderate income and that the municipality has a 7.4 percent unemployment rate.

If the school budget had been passed, it would have cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $434 more in taxes in Buena Vista and about $330 a year in Buena Borough.

"I emphasized the double-digit increases we've experienced in school taxes over the past two years," Baruffi said. "Half our taxpayers have low to moderate incomes, and we have a 11.7 percent unemployment rate."

Municipal officials have vowed not to slash jobs or eliminate academic programs as they seek ways to trim the 2005-06 Buena Regional School District budget that voters rejected last month.

Officials from Buena Vista, Buena Borough and the school board met Thursday to go over the spending plan, ask questions and brainstorm ways to minimize tax hikes the budget would require. More talks are planned, starting with tonight, so the two municipalities can settle on what reductions they'll impose.

"We're going to recommend some cuts, there's no doubt about it," Buena Mayor Joseph Baruffi said. But how much they'll total remains unknown, he said.

Baruffi and Buena Vista Mayor Chuck Chiarello said the challenge is a frustrating one because expenses in the budget are fixed costs, such as wages and benefits, or areas they've agreed are off-limits.

"We have made a commitment that we won't cut jobs or programs, short of something wasteful," Chiarello said, noting officials have used that philosophy when slashing budgets in previous years. Baruffi said he, too, is taking that approach.

Last week's talks went on for nearly four hours as municipal officials sought answers to several dozen questions about budget specifics.

Baruffi said this latest examination of the budget only solidifies his belief that the state should designate the school system as an Abbott district, like Vineland and Millville, which would recognize its long-term financial crisis and result in an influx of extra aid.

That will be the topic of a meeting Tuesday between the Atlantic County superintendent of schools, Daniel Loggi; officials from the two municipalities and school district; and state legislators. The local authorities ultimately hope to convince the state Education Department to reverse a decision that denied Abbott status to Buena Regional.