Will face voters April 18 (April 6)
By: Purvi Desai
UPPER FREEHOLD The Upper Freehold Regional Board of Education last week unanimously adopted a $30.8 million budget for 2006-07, which accommodates a 17 percent increase in special education enrollment, the hiring of three high school supervisors and replacement of three buses.
"The state is contributing less each year when they hold the contribution constant," said interim Superintendent Dr. Robert Smith at the March 29 meeting, which included a public hearing on the proposed budget.
State aid makes up 15 percent of the budget while the tax levy contributes 58 percent, according to budget documents.
Upper Freehold residents whose homes are assessed at the township average would be paying $394 more in school taxes if the budget is approved by township voters on April 18, Mr. Smith said.
Based on a recent township reassessment, the average value of a home in Upper Freehold is $508,100. At the proposed school tax rate of $1.23 per $100 of assessed property value, a resident with a home assessed at that value will pay $6,250 in school taxes if the budget is approved. Last year, the average value of a home was $252,400. A resident with a home at that value paid $5,856 in school taxes, based on the 2005-06 tax rate of $2.32 per $100 of assessed valuation.
The school tax rate for Allentown residents is proposed at $2.66 per $100 of assessed valuation. That means that the owner of a home assessed at the borough average of $154,000 would pay $4,096 an increase of $446.State aid has been low in the past five years, Mr. Smith said, and this year’s $191,518 drop in aid has been due to fewer students enrolled in the Choices program, an agricultural science program that admits students outside of the district. This year, there were 20 students fewer than last year, he said.
Board member Joseph Stampe said there has been an 11 percent decrease in state aid despite a 33 percent increase in student enrollment over the last five years.
Allentown resident Chris McGovern voiced his concern about the three supervisory positions being proposed at the high school. He asked the board what purpose they serve and if they will help the learning process.
Board member Elizabeth Trent responded that the three positions will be in the English, mathematics and science sectors, where the supervisors will bring in innovative technologies and updated information that the current teachers may not possess to improve instruction.
Mr. Stampe added that the high school is the only one within the district that does not have supervisors. He said the other schools have them and register higher test scores in comparison.
"It’s very important," he said.
Board Vice President Howard Kreiger said if the three supervisors are not added, class sizes, which will naturally increase, will have fewer teachers in front of more students.
Robert Cheff, another school board member, said the three positions cost $60,000, "which is a tiny fraction (compared) to what we’re putting in."
"The state of New Jersey ranks in the bottom in state aid given to education," Mr. Smith said.
"The same time they’re freezing your funding, they are capping your spending," Jeanette Bressi, school board president, said.
The 2006-07 school budget election will be held April 18 between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

