by Muneera Naseer, Special Writer
ALLENTOWN — Residents in Upper Freehold would see a $210 increase in their annual school tax, while Allentown residents would pay $100 less, on average, based on a $36.8 million preliminary 2009-10 budget approved this week by the Upper Freehold Regional school board.
The board also voted late Monday to approve a 2-percent salary increase for Superintendent Richard Fitzpatrick, raising his pay to $180,826.
Board President Joe Stampe said the district is obligated by contract to give the superintendent a 4.3-percent increase but “Dr. Fitzpatrick volunteered to take less of an increase given the difficult economic climate we are in.”
Dr. Fitzpatrick added Tuesday, “Seeing what is happening throughout our country, we need to set an example. I actually offered to take a zero increase.”
Dr. Fitzpatrick was hired in 2007, with a four-year contract that paid him $169,000 for the 2007-2008 school year.
The district budget was approved 9-1 Monday, with Millstone board member Laura Dreifus voting no.
According to budget documents, the rate changes are based on the average assessed value of a home in both towns: $153,300 for Allentown and $526,400 in Upper Freehold. Business Administrator Diana Schiraldi said the disparity in rate changes has to do with how the state set up the ratios for taxes for both towns, noting that last year Allentown’s tax rate increase was higher than Upper Freehold’s.
Based on the 2009-10 preliminary budget:
• The tax rate for Allentown would be $2.33 per $100 in assessed property value, compared to about $2.40 now.
• The tax rate for Upper Freehold would be $1.11, compared to about 1.07 cents.
The bulk of the district’s budget, $32.5 million, comprises the general fund used for operating costs. Ms. Schiraldi said this year’s general fund represents a 2.7-percent increase to cover various costs including increases in teacher salaries, meeting special education state mandates and paying for higher energy bills.
The total budget also includes a little more than $4 million in debt service.
”We’re not cutting any programs,” she said. “We’re basically maintaining programs we already have in place.”
Ms. Dreifus said her vote against the budget was largely based on the planned addition of three teachers at the high school and rising tuition costs for Millstone to send its high-schoolers to Allentown High School.
”I want to encourage the board to be more conservative in its spending at the high school level,” she said. “When they added those teachers, I had to vote ‘no’ on principle. It hurts Millstone in the long run in its ability to pay increasing tuition costs.”
Dr. Fitzpatrick and Mr. Stampe both described the budget as responsible.
The superintendent said the budget includes funding for:
• negotiated benefits and salaries for employees;
• leases for alternate space for elementary and middle school physical education classes at the Robbinsville field house and pre-school programs at the Millstone elementary school; and
• a 5-year lease for math curriculum technology equipment including smart boards, 50 computer stations and the upgrading of two portable computer labs.
Dr. Fitzpatrick said the administration and the board worked hard to cut down on expenses and rejected nearly $750,000 in expense requests made, including 13 new staff members and additional team and intramural sport activities.
Rejection of these requests does not have an adverse effect on class sizes or student achievement goals, he added.
The new budget does not include charging activity fees for students as previously discussed, but does include charges for after-hour buses.
A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for April 1 in the elementary/middle school auditorium at 27 High Street. The public vote on the budget is set for April 21.
Vic Monaco contributed to this story.

