Voters will have say on school tab

$82.9M budget would increase K-8 taxes by $67 on average home

BY REBECCA MORTON Staff Writer

MARLBORO – No one from the public offered any comment about the Marlboro K-8 School District’s budget for 2008-09 when given the chance to do so on March 17.

The Board of Education held a public hearing on the budget that evening, but no residents came forward to ask questions about or comment on the proposed $82.9 million spending plan.

In the April 15 school election, residents will vote on a $61.5 million local tax levy to support the budget. The tax levy is up $1.47 million from 2007-08. Residents will not vote on the debt service tax levy of $3.98 million for 2008-09.

School district administrators are expecting to receive $12.7 million in state aid in 2008-09, an increase of $2.1 million from what Trenton provided in 2007-08.

During a presentation of the budget at the public hearing, Business Administrator Cindy Barr-Rague said the tax impact of the 2008-09 budget would be an increase of three cents per $100 of assessed valuation. The K-8 district’s school tax rate will rise from $2.043 to $2.073 per $100 of assessed valuation if voters approve the tax levy next month.

If the tax rate increases as projected, the owner of a home assessed at the township average of $224,000 would pay about $4,643 in K-8 school taxes in 2008-09, up from $4,576 during $2007-08. The owner of a home assessed at $400,000 would pay about $8,292 in K- 8 school taxes in 2008- 09, up from $8,172 in 2007-08. The owner of a home assessed at $600,000 would pay about $12,438 in K-8 school taxes in 2008- 09, up from $12,258 in 2007-08.

K-8 school taxes are one part of the overall property tax bill, which also includes municipal taxes, Monmouth County taxes, Freehold Regional High School District taxes and other assessments.

Breaking down how much of a property owner’s property tax bill comes to the school district, Barr-Rague used the example of last year’s tax bill. From a resident’s tax bill, about 50 percent of the total to the Marlboro K-8 School District.

“If you figure it out, let’s just say an average tax bill is $10,000. So $5,000 is going to come to Marlboro (K-8 district), but as you saw a couple slides before it costs us $10,000 to educate a child. So your (K-8 school) taxes, with a $10,000 (total) tax bill, isn’t paying for one child, and if you have more than one child, two, three or four children, you’re getting a wonderful bang for your dollar with this and how we run this district,” Barr-Rague said.

Under state legislation signed into law last year there is a 4 percent cap on the increase permitted in the local tax levy. Barr-Rague explained that the board did not raise the tax levy that full 4 percent, opting to raise it 2.45 percent. She said surplus was used to help keep the increase in the tax levy under 4 percent.

With the 2008-09 budget, district administrators are planning to create a fourth grade instrumental music program, gaining one full-time music teacher. There will also be a new part-time teacher of English as a Second Language to support an increase in non-English speaking students.

The number of special education students who are receiving instruction in the district has been increasing and the new budget will support the hiring of two fulltime teachers for self-contained classes, one full-time teacher for the resource center, one full-time occupational therapist assistant and one full-time speech therapist. In a budget presentation it was noted that with these new positions there was a decrease of one elementary school teacher and one part-time world language teacher.

New textbooks totaling $505,400 will be purchased to replace outdated ones in math for grades 3-5 and reading for grades K-2.

The budget will also support various improvement projects throughout the district’s schools with an estimated total of about $1.3 million.

Those plans include replacing student lockers at the Marlboro Middle School, Route 520. The middle school will also see a refurbishment in the mini theater, installation of cable wiring in all rooms, a redesign of the boys and girls locker rooms to create additional educational space and the installation of a security lobby.

The gymnasium lights at the Asher Holmes and Dugan schools will be replaced. Those schools and the Robertsville andMarlboro Elementary schools can also expect to see a refinishing of gym floors and the replacement of backup generators. Marlboro Elementary School will also have a partial repair/replacement of its roof, according to the presentation.

Barr-Rague explained to those present that beginning with the 2008-09 school year, districts will be required to fund 100 percent of the mandatory contribution to the pension plan for non-certified personnel.

This requirement resulted in an almost 78 percent increase from 2007-08, adding up to be about $1 million. Non-certified personnel include secretaries, substitutes (instructional and non-instructional), instructional assistants, bus drivers, bus attendants and maintenance personnel.

Superintendent of Schools David Abbott has been presenting the budget at different locations throughout the district as part of Project 3000. At these sessions members of the public have asked questions about the budget.

During a meeting with the Special Children’s Organization for Parents and Educators on March 5 a question was posed as to how Marlboro’s upcoming property revaluation will affect the school district’s proposed property tax increase for the 2008-09 school year.

Attendees were told that the school district is not involved with the property revaluation process in any way. It was explained that the revaluation is expected to begin in late spring, with a goal of completion for the 2009 tax bills, so the revaluation will not affect the school district’s proposed tax increase for the 2008-09 year.

A user-friendly version of the budget will be available for residents to view on the district’s Internet Web site. Polls will be open from noon to 9 p.m. on April 15.