Ridgewood Summer, Community School Programs Lost Money

The Ridgewood Community School and the revamped Ridgewood High School summer school session ran a deficit in the 2011-2012 school year, according to district officials.

In assessing the program losses, officials maintained the revenue lost was miniscule when the full weight of the $90 million school budget is considered.

According to Assistant Superintendent for Business Angelo DeSimone, The Community School – which provides classes for adults and holds the district's infant/toddler center, among other offerings – came up $43,675 short in 2011-2012.

DeSimone said the district will be re-tooling program brochures and targeting its mailing efforts while also increasing the price of its Driver's Ed program. Revenue is up $26,000 over this time last year, DeSimone said, leading him to wonder if last year was an "anamoly."

Discontinued two years ago, administrators and school board members expressed excitement earlier this year in rekindling the summer school program.

But the program didn't meet enrollment expectations (150 students were anticipated; about 100 joined) and DeSimone mistakenly forgot to include a salary in his intial projections, he said.

All told, the summer school program was $5,000 in the red. It's not unusual – the program was discontinued because it was not profitable in past years.

Officials attributed the loss in 2012 largely to the late start of the program and lackluster marketing efforts.

"Starting it when we did, I don't think we gave ourselves enough time to get the word out," DeSimone said.

School board members agreed to try the program out again in 2013.

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