By: Stephanie Prokop
SPRINGFIELD Due to a slightly higher tax levy and a property reassessment that lowered average home values, the residents of Springfield Township may see a slight increase in the 2007-2008 school tax bill.
According to Business Administrator Barbara Harris, the overall school budget for 2007-08 is $4,379,732, with $2,794,800 to be raised through taxation. This is slightly more than last year’s tax levy of about $2.65 million.
The increase would raise the tax rate 2.3 cents, to 67.8 cents per $100 of assessed house value.
Since the average assessed house is now valued at $319,000, this would mean a school tax bill of $2,162. The increased tax rate is due partly to a reassessment that lowered the average assessed value of most homes. The average assessed home last year was $323,000, and the tax rate was 65.5 cents per $100 of assessed house value. This put the school tax bill at $2,115.65.
A public hearing on the budget was held March 29.
"I passed out pieces of candy and asked the audience to describe what I had just given to them," said Superintendent Heleva Sullivan.
Ms. Sullivan said she then related the gift of "penny candy" to the introduction of this year’s budget.
For about the price of a piece of penny candy (relating it to the tax increase), Ms. Sullivan explained that Springfield Elementary can continue its mission to "support excellence in communication."
As far as programs are concerned, Ms. Sullivan said that they are keeping everything intact, including programs that were recently introduced.
For example, Springfield Elementary introduced clubs that the children report to when they first get into school. This not only gives them incentive to get to school on time, but also gets them immediately involved and motivated in something as soon as they come in, explained Ms. Sullivan.
Ms. Sullivan also said that she is anticipating a good turnout for the vote on the school budget for this year on April 17, with this year’s theme for the day being "spring into action."
"While the parents go and vote on the budget across the street, (at the municipal building), we have the kids do a taste test of various kinds of "ugly fruits" to see which one they like the best," she said.
"We try to have a lot of stuff going on to get the kids out and draw the parents," she added.
