NBC sending districts face school tax rate increase

School board approves a budget that would raise the overall average tax bill in the four sending districts by 14.7 percent.

By: Eve Collins
   MANSFIELD — A final budget that would raise the overall average tax bill in the four sending districts by 14.7 percent was unanimously approved by the Northern Burlington County Regional school board on March 26. About 30 people attended the meeting on the $27.9 million budget and had questions about the flat amount of state aid and the proposed tax increase, said Superintendent James Sarruda.
   "Their concern was the tremendous decrease in state aid, which is the primary reason for the tax increase," said Dr. Sarruda. "We talked about everything the district had done to hold down costs. I believe the people there understood what was said — that it was what they wanted to hear."
   The budget will go to the voters for approval on April 15.
   The district serves students from Chesterfield, Mansfield, North Hanover and Springfield townships.
   A state-mandated formula determines the share from each sending district’s tax rates, based on the community’s ability to pay and the population of students in that community, said Dr. Sarruda.
   Chesterfield residents would see their tax rate rise 15 cents to $1.16 of every $100 of assessed property value. The owner of a home assessed at the township average of 207,000 would pay $2,401, an increase of $310.
   For property owners in Mansfield, the school tax rate would rise 14 cents to $1.01 for every $100 of assessed property value. The owner of a home assessed at the township average of $157,000 would pay $1,586, an increase of $220.
   Property owners in North Hanover would see a school tax rate increase of 10.5 cents to 95 cents per $100 of assessed property value. The owner of a home assessed at the township average of $150,000 would pay $1,425, an increase of $158.
   Springfield residents would see their school tax rate rise 19 cents to $1.26 for every $100 of assessed property value. The owner of a home assessed at the township average of $150,000 would pay $1,890, an increase of $285.
   About $11.7 million for the budget comes from the tax levy, Dr. Sarruda said. The remainder comes from state and federal aid, he said, but funds from the state have remained the same amount, about $10.8 million, even though the district has gained 368 students over the past three years and will increase again next year.
   With the student increase, Dr. Sarruda said, the state aid should have been significant, but is not proportional. He estimates that $2.6 million in state aid has been lost over the past two years.
   The regional school district also receives $987,000 in impact aid, which aids school districts whose students live on federal lands. Northern Burlington serves students who live on McGuire Air Force Base.
   This year’s proposed budget is a $3.3 million increase from last year’s. Board officials said the increase is due to the rise in student enrollment and to opening and operating costs of the new middle school, which is scheduled to open in 2004.
   Dr. Sarruda said the board has been holding spending down and has cut items from the budget.
   The cost of Special Education alone is up $1 million, Dr. Sarruda said, because the district has decided to bring back certain programs, for which it has placed students outside the district.
   Officials also were discussing having a separate route for the middle school students, Dr. Sarruda said, but have decided to postpone that change in order to save money. The middle school students ride with high school students, he said.
   "We always strive to have first-class programs, but this year we needed to make some compromises," he said.