LAWRENCE: Public hearing set April 1 on district school budget

By Lea Kahn, Staff Writer
A public hearing on the proposed 2009-10 school district budget has been set for April 1 at 7 p.m. at the Lawrence High School library, according to Lawrence Township School District officials.
    The proposed $65.3 million spending plan does not show an increase over the 2008-09 budget, said school district Business Administrator Thomas Eldridge. The overall budget will decrease by $12,000.
    However, the tentative school district tax rate is projected to increase by 2 cents — from $2.19 per $100 of assessed value to $2.21, Mr. Eldridge said.
    This means the owner of a house assessed at the township average of $164,580 would pay $3,637 in school district property taxes — an increase of $33 over the current tax bill.
    Mr. Eldridge said the tax bill is split across two tax calendar years, because the budget is also divided across two calendar years. A portion of the property tax increase is attributable to the 2008-09 budget.
    He also pointed to a drop in the value of the township’s ratable base.
    Meanwhile, the proposed budget shows a $1 million increase in salaries and wages, and a $905,000 increase in employee benefits. Those increases — along with smaller increases in other areas — have been offset by a decrease in tuition for students enrolled in special schools outside of the district and a decrease in transportation costs.
    The school district has reduced tuition for special needs students from $3.2 million in the 2008-09 budget to $2 million for the proposed budget, Mr. Eldridge said. The number of special needs students sent to special schools has declined from 130 students four years ago to 55 students now, he said.
    Mr. Eldridge said he expects transportation costs to be reduced by $412,596 — in part because there are fewer special needs students to transport to out-of-district schools and because the district has purchased a few buses. The district relies on a private contractor to bus the majority of students.
    About $100,000 of that amount is due to a change in the starting times for the schools, he said. The new starting times would allow the transportation company to use the same school bus to make two runs instead of the present three runs. The revised transportation system allows the district to make more efficient use of the bus routes.
    The district also is saving $80,000 in utilities because of the solar energy initiative, Mr. Eldridge said. Solar energy panels are being installed on the roofs of all schools, and the district expects the electricity generated by those panels to offset some of the district’s electricity costs.