Education at a Reasonable Cost

This blog is written by Jim Lippert, candidate for Regional School District 17 Board of Education.

My name is Jim Lippert.  I am running for re-election to the Board of Education. I want to continue my mission of having District #17 provide the best education possible at a reasonable price. I voted against the 2012 budget of $38.2 million passed 6-5 by the BOE.  I believed it would result in tax increases, which it did. Voluntary reduction of teachers’ salaries and early retirement programs prevented the budget increase of 2.1% for 2012 from being higher.

Three years prior to my being on the Board, the budget increases were 5.5%, 7.6% and 7.8%, compared to the 4 years of my tenure of 4.9%, 1.6%, 1.58%, and 2.1%. The first year of my tenure I found $1.9 million of accumulated unexpended reserves of the last 12 years. This, plus another $2 million of unexpended budget amounts for the last 4 years, was returned to the towns. Also, hundreds of thousands of dollars were spent at fiscal year-end spending sprees. These instances are indicative that over budgeting has persisted for a long time. Over budgeting promotes over spending.

Tough economic times prompt fiscal restraint. If you want a better balance between excellent education and reasonable costs, please vote for me and my running mates Karen Perry and Peggy Bushey. A good education system requires quality teachers and administrators at reasonable costs.

My personal and professional background as a CPA, retired audit partner from Ernst & Young, professor of Auditing at CUNY and manager of my valuation consulting business qualifies me as an integral part of the BOE.  I’m a Penn State graduate and Navy veteran. My wife is a former teacher and my son is a Special Ed. Teacher. I’ve completed 15 marathons and I am a lousy golfer.