School addition costs raise tax rate 21.9 cents
HOLMDEL — Voters face a 21.9-cent school tax increase in the April 20 school election, Board of Education officials announced, while introducing the $42.5 million budget for the 2004-05 school year.
The board unanimously approved the introduction of the school budget, which has a $39.6 million tax levy, at its March 10 meeting.
Under the proposed budget, the owner a home assessed at the township average of $310,000 will pay an additional $682 a year in school taxes, Business Administrator Dominic Carrea said.
About 14.4 cents of the proposed 21.9-cent tax increase will cover costs of the $27 million school referendum projects approved by voters in December 2001. The state will provide about $9 million in aid for the referendum work, which includes renovations at all four of the district’s schools, leaving $18 million to be paid by taxpayers.
The remainder of the tax increase is mainly attributed to rising staff salaries, Carrea said.
The new additions at Village and Holmdel high schools, part of the referendum, should be open by the fall, according to Carrea. The increase in space has resulted in the district spending more on staff and supplies
"Every budget presents challenges and this year had its share," Carrea said.
The 2004-05 budget includes 31 new staff positions, including seven for building and grounds staff for the new additions, Carrea said.
The referendum work caused the personnel and operational costs to rise significantly and utility costs were also very high, according to Carrea.
"The reality is that the project has been going on for a while and we all know we’ve been heading toward this number," board member Thomas Baumlin III said.
Village High School has increased its space by 91 percent and the high school is 20 percent larger as a result of the referendum work, Carrea said.
"We’re not just spending, but investing, and we’re retaining Holmdel as one of the most desirable places to live," board member Elizabeth Allocco said.
Superintendent of Schools Maureen Flaherty said she spent time visiting with the budget stakeholder groups and found that there were many diverse wants, like smaller class sizes and additional guidance counselors and music teachers.
The budget also reflects the addition of an assistant principal at Village High School and a music teacher at William R. Satz School, Flaherty said.
"We’ve come to the point where we need to do for the children and we can’t move forward as quickly as we want without adequate staffing," she said.
Frank Pento, a resident and former board member, said he was unhappy with the proposed tax hike.
"You’re asking for one of the biggest increases in the history of the town with one of the lowest student growths, and I’m stunned as I sit here with the amount the board is asking the taxpayer to pay," he said.
"Not every one’s desires can be responded to, but it’s a good budget in terms of making a start," Flaherty said.
A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for March 31 at 8 p.m. in the William R. Satz School library.
— Vince Echavaria