Board of Ed Prepared for Snow

The projections of a major snow storm pummeling North Jersey tomorrow and Friday should not break the bank for the Westfield Board of Education.

Schools Business Administrator Robert Berman said the blizzard from two weeks ago did not have the fiscal impact on the board that it could have had. The board budgeted for one major and several minor snow storms this year and it was feared Gov. Chris Christie's decision to cut from the town's state education aid would imperil the budget in case of another major snow storm.

Berman said the last blizzard did not require much overtime from custodial staff to clear parking lots and walkways, with snow removal crews working primarily during regular working hours to clear snow. The school system had to pay overtime to a small custodial crew for several hours on the evening of the storm in an effort to have a delayed opening instead of closed schools for the second day of the blizzard.

Berman said the fact that this week's storm is projected to fail during business hours will help to prevent overtime. The Thursday evening projections and heavy fall in the early morning hours of Friday will require overtime for school snow removal crews.

The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for the New York metro area from tonight until Friday morning. Projections from the NWS for Westfield range between four and 11 inches of snow from the storm.