State aid figures held neutral for schools.
By: Josh Appelbaum
State aid figures for the township and the Cranbury School District, released last week, went nearly unchanged from 2004 and held little surprises for municipal and school officials.
The school district will get $648,732 for 2005-2006, the same amount as in 2004-2005, while the township will receive $693,129, a dollar less than in 2004.
Under the aid package, Cranbury will receive $12,653 from the Legislative Initiative Municipal Block Grant to be used as general revenue, according to Tom Ghrist, the township’s accountant. The township also will receive $182,597 for consolidated municipal property tax relief, $25,000 for homeland security assistance and $472,880 in energy receipts tax rebates.
The school district will receive $114,025 in transportation aid, $461,991 in aid for special education, $43,345 in consolidated aid, $18,895 in additional formula aid and $10,476 in instructional supplemental aid.
State aid to the township from the Garden State Trust Fund (Green Acres), which is not included in the total state aid figure has increased to $2,717, up from $444.43 in 2004. The trust fund reimburses the township for once year for lost property taxes when privately held land goes into the Green Acres program.