By Matt Chiappardi, Special Writer
MILLSTONE — With school officials here still waiting to see how much state aid the township district will receive, the administration has unveiled a tentative budget of $32.5 million that carries a 9.2-cent tax increase.
The budget represents a 7.2 percent increase over last year’s $30.3 million fiscal plan, according to Business Administrator Bernard Biesiada, who added the district plans to seek a state waiver to exceed its 4 percent cap on spending increases.
”This is a very tentative budget,” he said. “We still have about 30 more days of budget discussions.”
That waiver is to grapple with the costs of an $780,000 increase in the price of sending students to Allentown High School, contractually obligated raises for nine district administrators, including the superintendent, and a 3.8 percent rise in debt service costs. Last year, the district was able to refinance much of its debt and was able to apply about $500,000 in savings to its budget, Mr. Biesiada explained.
”This year, we don’t have that option,” he added.
As for the additional costs to send students to nearby Allentown High School, there is expected to be both an increase in enrollment and an increase in tuition for the upcoming year.
The district expects the cost to rise by $293 per pupil, and it expects 12 more students to be enrolled at the high school next year, Mr. Biesiada said. In addition, the district owes the Upper Freehold School District, which runs Allentown High, a $445,000 adjustment for being under-billed for tuition over the past three years and $145,000 for being under-billed for special education costs, Mr. Biesiada said.
Millstone only serves students from kindergarten through eighth grade. High school-aged students attend Allentown High with tuition costs borne by the district. The district projects 657 of its students will be educated in Allentown next year, according to Mr. Biesiada.
As for the raises, Mr. Biesiada said they come as part of contracts the district already has negotiated with Superintendent Mary Anne Donahue and the Millstone Township Administrators Association, the union representing people in positions such as principals, technical supervisors and curriculum coordinators.
Ms. Donahue, who is paid $156,395 annually, is scheduled for a 3- percent raise. The other administrators are scheduled for a 4.5 percent raise.
Last year, township voters rejected what would have been a 2-cent school tax hike that would have raised the average tax bill by $69 to a home assessed at the township average of $399,924. And that rejection was maintained by the municipal governing body.
A 9.2-cent increase, if approved, would raise the average tax bill by $317.
There are no separate ballot budget questions being proposed by the board.
Township voters are scheduled to go to the polls April 21.
In the meantime, Mr. Biesiada said district officials will be playing close attention to how the state doles out aid to districts in the weeks to come in hopes that money can help offset some of next year’s expected costs.
”This budget is by no means set in stone,” Mr. Biesiada said.

