Three budget questions in Millstone

Township taxpayers could face 13.5 percent hike if budget gets approval next month.

By: Ken Weingartner
   MILLSTONE — The Board of Education will present a $20.2 million budget to voters next month, a spending plan that could increase school taxes approximately 13.5 percent if approved.
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   The budget will be presented as three ballot questions. If all three are approved, the owner of a house assessed at the township average of $322,000 would pay $4,605 in school taxes. The school tax rate would be $1.43 per $100 of assessed valuation, up 17 cents from last year’s adjusted rate of $1.26 per $100.
   Calculating the increase in taxes is more difficult this year because the township recently completed a property reassessment. School board Business Administrator Brian Boyle said he was told by the township tax assessor’s office that assessments increased property values by about one-third.
   According to Superintendent William Setaro, the first budget question — which amounts to $1.41 in the tax rate — is the general operating budget and includes operating costs such as utilities, tuition to Allentown High School, salaries, benefits, text books, staff development, and transportation.
   The second question reflects items included as a result of recommendations from a strategic planning committee, Dr. Setaro said.
   It includes funding for an additional guidance counselor at the middle school, an additional part-time nurse, a supervisor for the special education program, a gifted-and-talent teacher who will work in both the elementary and middle school, technology infrastructure and additional academic extracurricular activities — including an online school magazine, peer mediation, a math team and an Odyssey of the Mind team.
   Funding for the second question is $238,000, and represents 2 cents in the proposed tax rate.
   Dr. Setaro said the third question asks for $25,000 to start boys and girls lacrosse teams at the middle school.
   Of the $20.2 million, Dr. Setaro said $15.7 million is to be raised by taxation. The district will receive $4.2 million in state aid, the same figure as in 2001-02, and $319,000 in fees and investments.
   "The message we’re trying to get out is that we think we’ve done a very good job at cost containment over the last few years," Dr. Setaro said. "There’s only one other school district in Monmouth County that spends less per pupil than we do. Unfortunately, with increased enrollment and increased costs of doing business, there’s not enough money coming from the state or ratables so the burden falls on the taxpayers."
   Millstone spent $6,635 per pupil in 2001-02, according to state figures. The state average was $8,321.
   Dr. Setaro said the district is getting good value for its money, pointing to state standardized tests as proof. Last year, for example, 96.5 percent of fourth-graders were either "proficient" or "advanced proficient" in language arts on the Elementary School Proficiency Assessment test. The previous year, only 69.8 percent reached those levels and in 1998-99 it was 74.8 percent.
   He said improving staff development was "where the rubber meets the road" and crucial to continued improvement in test scores.
   "You want to make sure your staff has the latest, most up-to-date theories of instruction and methods that have been proven in research to work," Dr. Setaro said. "We’re working hard to provide the very best for the children of Millstone."