Boost in state aid helps stabilize FRHSD taxes

Voters will be asked to OK $110.9M tax levy in April 15 election

BY TOYNETT HALL Staff Writer

The Freehold Regional High School District Board of Education has adopted a $174.6 million budget for the 2008-09 school year. A public hearing on the budget was held onMarch 19 at the FRHSD offices in Englishtown.

On April 15, residents of the district’s eight sending municipalities will be asked to approve a general fund local tax levy of $110.9 million to support the operation of the district in the coming year.

According to information presented by Business Administrator Sean Boyce, the tax levy is broken down among the eight towns as follows: Colts Neck, $12 million; Englishtown, $700,000; Farmingdale, $518,000; Freehold Borough, $4 million; Freehold Township, $22.2 million; Howell, $25.4 million; Manalapan, $22.7 million; and Marlboro, $26.6 million.

The amount for each municipality includes what each town pays in the general fund tax levy and a debt service tax levy.

An increase of $8 million in state aid for the 2008-09 school year has boosted the FRHSD’s state aid package to $53.4 million.

According to Boyce, pending approval of the budget by voters, the FRHSD tax rates will be the following in the eight sending municipalities:

• Colts Neck: increase of 1.9 cents from 81.2 to 83.1 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. The owner of a home assessed at $400,000 will pay about $3,324 in FRHSD school taxes in 2008-09, up from $3,248 in 2007-08.

• Englishtown: increase of 1.4 cents from 25.3 to 26.7 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. The owner of a home assessed at $330,000 will pay about $881 in FRHSD school taxes in 2008-09, up from $835 in 2007-08 (2007-08 rate converted to revaluation basis for comparative purposes).

• Farmingdale: decrease of 4 cents from 37.2 to 33.2 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. The owner of a home assessed at $200,000 will pay about $664 in FRHSD school taxes in 2008-09, down from $744 in 2007-08.

• Freehold Borough: increase of 0.6 cents from 36.8 to 37.4 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. The owner of a home assessed at the borough average of $259,000 will pay about $968 in FRHSD school taxes in 2008-09, up from $953 in 2007-08.

• Freehold Township: increase of 0.6 cents from 70 to 70.6 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. The owner of a home assessed at $250,000 will pay about $1,765 in FRHSD school taxes in 2008-09, up from $1,750 in 2007-08.

• Howell: increase of 1.8 cents from 35.3 to 37.1 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. The owner of a home assessed at the township average of $355,000 will pay about $1,317 in FRHSD school taxes in 2008-09, up from $1,253 in 2007-08.

• Manalapan: decrease of 0.4 cents from 36.3 to 35.9 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. The owner of a home assessed at the township average of $430,000 will pay about $1,543 in FRHSD school taxes in 2008-09, down from $1,560 in 2007-08.

• Marlboro: decrease of 0.8 cents from 85.1 to 84.3 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. The owner of a home assessed at the township average of $224,000 will pay about $1,888 in FRHSD school taxes in 2008-09, down from $1,906 in 2007-08.

The FRHSD school tax rate is used to calculate the amount of property taxes that a property owner pays to support the operation of the district. The FRHSD tax is one portion of a property owner’s overall tax bill. The tax bill also includes municipal taxes, local K-8 school taxes, Monmouth County taxes and several other assessments.

In addition to maintaining the students’ high level of academic achievement and a low cost per pupil when compared with similar districts, administrators are making “serious moves” to become energy efficient, according to Boyce.

Two initiatives in which the FRHSD is involved are the New Jersey Clean Energy Program run by the Board of Public Utilities, which offers rebates and incentives for renewable energy sources, and the Leadership Energy and Environmental Design effort, a national program that benchmarks high performing buildings.

“Our facilities will participate in this to see where we stand, in addition to where we can cut energy costs,” Boyce said.

Another improvement the FRHSD is planning to make to become more efficient is the implementation of a Voice Over IP telecommunications system.

“Currently our teachers do not have a voice mail phone system. Our system is antiquated and we can make some improvements,” Boyce said, adding that the upgrades will eventually give staff members voice mail.

The 2008-09 budget includes a new world language initiative, Mandarin Chinese. The program will be available to all schools provided there is adequate student interest to support the class, according to Boyce.

There is no second ballot question for additional funding and no programs will be cut.

Additional positions include two Mandarin Chinese teachers; one school nurse; a chief medical inspector; six security guards and three clerical positions. The replacement of 15 buses is also provided for.

The FRHSD is made up of eight sending municipalities and operates six high schools. The present total enrollment is about 11,800 students.