Camden school budget introduced and faulted

Camden City School District administrators introduced a $314.9 million operational budget for the 2012-13 school year at a special board meeting Wednesday night.

Some board members requested a new hearing on the budget, however, saying the four-page report given them was too vague.

The proposal does not include federal aid and gives only an estimated number for state aid, which makes up about 80 percent of the district's budget. The district received $281 million from the state for its $353 million total budget for 2011-12. The budget assumes the district will receive the same amount of state aid in 2012-13.

The district is planning no new programs or school mergers, but is proposing $1.1 million for school bathroom renovations, and close to $200,000 for new security vehicles and maintenance equipment.

Charter schools are expected to eat up a bigger chunk of the budget. The proposed budget lists $46 million for the city's charter schools, an increase of $2.7 million from this year. The increase is due to the planned opening in September of up to three new charter schools, said Superintendent Bessie LeFra Young.

A new budget presentation will be made at the board's Feb. 21 work session.