BRSD expects some tax relief
By: Cara Latham
The tentative spending plan released by Bordentown Regional School District this week could include a tax decrease in Bordentown City and Bordentown Township, and an increase in Fieldsboro, said Superintendent John Polomano this week.
Mr. Polomano said Tuesday that budget figures and tax rates would not be available until next week. A public hearing is scheduled for March 28 at 7 p.m. in the high school library.
He did say, however, that because the district received a 3 percent increase in state aid for its full-day kindergarten program and for its at-risk students, it will be able to keep the increase in needed revenue to "significantly" less than the 4 percent cap the state puts on the increase in money to be raised through taxation.
"We’ll probably be below 3 percent actually," he said.
Despite the good news for the two municipalities, taxpayers in Fieldsboro, the smallest sending district, may see an increase in their school tax bills this year, he said.
The district is not releasing numbers yet because officials are waiting on direction from the state regarding state aid money it received for its at-risk students. That category of state aid was given to some districts that have more than 15 students that are economically disadvantaged, he said.
"They need to provide direction (as to whether) you can apply that to tax relief or if you have to provide a new program with that, so that’s what we’re waiting on," he said. "They may say, ‘You can use money to reduce taxes,’ or, ‘You’ve got to create a program to address the needs of those kids.’"
Mr. Polomano said because test scores have been so high, he doesn’t think the district will need to create a new program and will be able to use that money toward tax relief.
Voters in Bordentown City and Bordentown Township who gave the thumbs down to the 2006-07 school budget last April.
Though voters in Fieldsboro voted 26-13 in favor of the BRSD’s $34.7 million budget last year, those in Bordentown City and, in particular, Bordentown Township tipped the scales far into the negative. In the end, 721 voters in the district said no, while 456 said yes.

