Finance & Planning Committee

The Finance & Planning Committee is a standing committee of the Leonia Board of Education charged with ensuring the careful stewardship and oversight of public funds. To do this, the Finance & Planning Committee seeks the highest levels of transparency, accountability, and efficiency concerning the District's finances.

The Finance & Planning Committee's Tasks Include:

Educate the general public about school finance matters
Review the District's annual audit and oversee the execution of any corrective action items
Review the annual budget, revenue, and expenditure projections, and submit any recommendations to the Board
Review and make recommendations regarding long-range facilities and capital plans for the District
Provide input to the Board concerning the undertaking of debt
Advise the Board of any local, state, and/or national policies, legislation, or developing trends that may impact district finances

School Budget Information

Leonia & Edgewater Partnership

Projects Underway

Completed Projects

Turf Field Project

Over a period of six months, the Leonia School District (led by Bryce Robins, President & Ed Bertolini, Superintendent) and the Borough of Leonia (led by Judah Zeigler, Mayor) engaged in discussions concerning the construction of a turf field on the current site of Leonia High School's athletic field.

To ensure that Leonia residents, and the students of Leonia’s schoo turf ls, have access to an appropriate field, a complete reconstruction was required. Now completed, the new field includes a baseball, softball, and both small-sided and full-sided soccer, providing much-needed field space for children of all ages. The new field consists of a new drainage system beneath the infill, FieldTurf® CoolPlay, and turf. The field also features centrally-controlled LED lighting, bleachers, and new fencing. Eventually, the field will also have on-site bathrooms and a concession area. The project was a joint venture between the Leonia Board of Education and the Leonia Mayor and Council, with the two bodies entering into a Shared Services Agreement to memorialize the collaboration. The American Youth Soccer Organization, which will be using the field for its Core and Travel soccer programs (for the children of Leonia and Edgewater), has committed to paying for the annual maintenance of the field, and the Board of Education and the Mayor and Council have also entered into a separate agreement with AYSO.

This project represents a very positive solution to a long-standing problem for our entire community. Through collaboration between the municipal government and the Board of Education, the completion of this project has allowed our student-athletes and youth in general in our community to participate in team sports on a field that allows them to play safely.

LHS North Wing Project

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In addition to adding eight classrooms, the North Wing Project reinvigorating the culinary arts program at Leonia High School by opening a new state-of-the-art Culinary Arts Lab. The goal was to provide the program with a space that is on par with a dedicated culinary academy in both form and function. By providing a modern lab that meets the standards needed to teach contemporary techniques, and equipping it to match a professional kitchen, the design exceeded the school’s expectations.

The newly renovated facility has six individual learning kitchens and a large instructional counter, all of which are equipped with commercial-grade equipment. This includes large ranges with salamanders, three compartment sinks, stainless steel counters, and a variety of appliances that would rival a modern restaurant. The center of the lab is a flexible environment where tables with casters can be used for instruction, as additional counter space, or arranged for serving and plating. The lab also includes separate areas for students, and dry good storage, as well as a tower garden for year-round fresh herbs. To increase the modern culinary atmosphere found in high-end restaurants, a large glass wall separates the lab and corridors, providing passersby a glimpse into the space.

To celebrate the Culinary Arts Lab grand opening, the school and LAN Associates hosted an open house with a special event. School and town officials, faculty, and students gathered to tour the facility and watch a local pastry chef provide a live demo on how to cook bananas foster, and share the experience of his culinary art. The event used the lab’s live camera system located above the instructional counter which allows cooking preparation to be viewed on screens placed throughout the lab. This project generated tremendous interest in the program and garnered national recognition. Soon after the ribbon-cutting, the program saw an 80% increase in enrollment, necessitating the implementation of a waitlist. The project received the Outstanding Project Award from Learning by Design Magazine in 2019 and, has been featured on the Food Network.

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Propane Bus Program

As the Leonia School District bus fleet ages, new replacements will be required at a rate of approximately three buses per year over the next several years. The Leonia Board of Education has chosen to phase out diesel, joining the nearly 850 other school districts across the U.S. and Canada that operate Blue Bird propane school buses. While it is still a fossil fuel, the carbon content is significantly less than conventional gasoline or diesel fuel. For instance, propane produces up to 20% less nitrogen oxide, 60% less carbon monoxide, and notably 24% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than diesel. In addition, 90% of America’s propane is produced domestically with costs of operation that are 40 to 50% less than diesel. That makes it not only an environmental choice but an economically responsible one as well.

5th Grade - LMS Transition

LMS Floor Replacement

District-Wide Energy Usage Study

The Leonia School District is considerably more energy-efficient than the average school district. However, you may be wondering, "what is wrong at LMS?" The answer is that our internet servers are based out of Middle school and consume a significant amount of energy. However, as a result of the recent INTERNET Project, our District servers will be moved to more optimal conditions in LHS, continuing our objective of maximizing our energy efficiency.