MTHS tuition on the rise

Jamesburg will pay more to attend the high school

By: Rebecca Tokarz
JAMESBURG —The cost of sending Jamesburg students to Monroe Township High School is on the rise, as is the number of students expected to attend the school next year.
   Tuition for Jamesburg students attending MTHS will rise 3 percent from last year, bringing the tuition total to $12,628 per student for the 2003-2004 school year, compared to the current price tag of $12,260 per pupil.
   "(The increase) is attributed to the cost of doing business," school board President Don Peterson said.
   The increase in tuition will be added to the district’s other costs and will be presented and discussed by the school board at its Feb. 27 meeting, where the budget committee will introduce the 2003-2004 school budget.
   Once approved, the tentative budget will go to the county for approval. The district expects to hold public hearings on the budget on Mar. 27. Voters will vote on the school budget April 15.
   School Business Administrator Tom Reynolds would not release specifics on the budget and said the district as not determined the tax rate yet.
   The district, which has been sending its students to MTHS since 1979, anticipates sending an additional seven students to the high school next year, increasing the number from 208 to 215, Mr. Reynolds said.
   That number is up from two years ago, when the district sent 186 students to the high school.
   The number of students attending the high school year could change. There are currently 59 students in the eighth grade. Some will attend private or vocational schools next year and that number does not include any students who may move into or out of the area, Mr. Reynolds said.
   "There has been a lot of resale of homes and young couples moving in," Mr. Reynolds said.
   A tuition hike does not surprise Mr. Peterson, as the number of sending students to the high school increases yearly.
   "Things cost more from year to year," Mr. Peterson said. "The state mandates new programs, benefits and salary costs go up."