May 3, 2024
Atlantic City Public Schools Business Administrator Celeste Ricketts presented the budget at a special meeting on May 2, 2024.
ATLANTIC CITY — The Atlantic City Board of Education has adopted a nearly $286 million dollar spending plan for the 2024-2025 Fiscal Year (FY).
Atlantic City Public Schools Business Administrator Celeste Ricketts presented the budget on Thursday, May 2, 2024, in a special meeting. “This budget is built on a strong financial foundation that demonstrates effective resource management, with a keen focus on sustainability,” said Ricketts reading from a prepared Budget Statement. “The 2024-2025 budget prioritizes items aligned to the superintendent’s goals, specifically: increasing student achievement, improving climate and culture, and addressing recruitment and retention at Atlantic City High School.”
The budget also includes capital improvement projects throughout the district, including building new administrative offices. Board of Education President Shay Steele said the board was pleased by the presentation. “We as a board are extremely proud of the budget that the district has put forward,” said Steele. “We also want to commend the district, Mrs. Ricketts in particular, for her prudent work in reducing the tax levy, at the same time increasing programming.” The total 2024-2025 budget is $285,751,681. This includes a $506,475 decrease in the local tax levy, which is the amount to be raised by taxes, and an increase in surplus from the previous year.
“The school district is in a very strong position,” Ricketts said. This comes, in part because the district has steadily gained state-aid, Ricketts said.
According to the budget report, state-aid has consistently risen since the 2016-2017 Fiscal Year (FY). For Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-2025, the district will receive $124,586,295 from the state. “As the district received additional state aid, we’ve been reducing the tax burden,” Ricketts said. That allows for robust program planning, she said.
ADDRESSING THE SUPERINTENDENT’S GOALS
- Increase Student Achievement
- The district will continue alignment of curricula to meet the mandates of the New Jersey Students Learning Standards, Next Generation Science Standards, 21st Century Life and Career Standards and the New Jersey Students Learning Assessment
- The district will maintain services to students with disabilities who have both in-district and out-of-district placements
- The District’s Title 1 Programs will include an Extended Day Program
- The School District will continue its Early Morning Enrichment Program; and
- The summer program will focus on Language Arts and Mathematics
The budget also includes a host of other student achievement-related programs spanning all grade levels. At Atlantic City High School, a major emphasis has been placed on the Public Safety Academy, which introduces students to Civil Service careers and provides opportunities for them to receive college credits while still in high school. There are Advanced Placement courses which include a host of programs. The high school offers education in drone technology and will even implement an E-Sports component to its offerings. “It’s going to give students an opportunity to create their own gaming,” Ricketts said. “E-Sports is a brand-new program. It’s something we’re all happy about.”
- Improve Climate and Culture
- The district will deliver professional development for teachers to incorporate Social Emotional Learning (SEL) practices into daily instruction intervention, enrichment, and supplemental instruction
- Implementing emotional interventions ranging from use of a “calm down zone,” regular daily behavior check and connect and individualized safety plans
- Engage and collaborate with community support organizations, such as AtlantiCare, Boys and Girls Club and the Atlantic City Police Explorers
- Create and disseminate a list of parental support activities and track attendance at the school and district level; and
- Communicate clear expectations of action steps to all stakeholders
- Address Recruitment and Retention at Atlantic City High School
The district will promote positive programming by investing in courses that will attract and retain current and prospective students, such as:- The Television Studio
- SAT Classes
- Adding courses to the career readiness curriculum
- Wide range of AP and Honor Classes
- Bringing 8th graders to the school campus in the fall to showcase the programs offered at the high school
- Public Safety Club at each elementary and middle school which serves as a feeder to the high school’s Public Safety Program
The School District will also commit nearly $60 million dollars to capital improvements, including a $20 million dollar allocation for new administrative offices and $2.5 million dollars to demolish New Jersey Avenue School.
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS
- Atlantic City High School
- Pool resurfacing
- Track resurfacing and turf replacement
- Bathroom renovation
- Brighton Avenue School
- Building electrical work
- Tile floors and gymnasium upgrades
- Chelsea Heights School
- Gym floor replacement
- Gym Roof Top Unit (RTU) replacement
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School Complex
- New boiler
- HVAC units
- Door replacements
- Office renovations
- New York Avenue School
- Roof Top Unit (RTU) replacement
- HVAC classroom units
- Window replacements
- Bathroom renovation
- Pennsylvania Avenue School
- Split Unit Heater/AC
- School sign
- Richmond Avenue School
- 3 Boiler replacements
- Locker additions
- Sovereign Avenue School
- Classroom renovations
- Texas Avenue School
- Locker replacement
- Turf Area
- Uptown School Complex
- Roof replacement
- Classroom/Office renovation
- Boiler replacement
- Door Replacements
The board adopted the budget on the heels of a stellar financial audit for the 2022-2023 school year. Ford Scott & Associates, who audited the district’s more than $267 million spending plan for that year, presented a summary at the April 23, 2024, Board of Education meeting that required no findings in any category and made no recommendations for improvement. Steele said the 2024-2025 budget was equally encouraging.
“We as a board are excited,” Steele said. “We have a lot of resources. Overall, we just have a healthy and vibrant budget.”
