Tally calls for 3-cent tax rate hike
BY LEa Kahn
With little fanfare and virtually no public comment following a short public hearing Tuesday night, the Lawrence Township Board of Education approved the district’s proposed $65 million operating budget for 2011-12.
About 30 people watched quietly as the school board voted unanimously for the budget. The next step is for voters to act on the request for a $57.3 million tax levy to support the budget at the annual school board election, set for April 27.
The proposed 2011-12 budget carries a 3-cent tax rate increase, due to the decline in the township’s ratable base, said school district Business Administrator Thomas Eldridge. The ratable base has dropped by $122 million in two years. None of the tax rate increase is a result of increased school district spending.
The owner of a house assessed at the township average of $161,292 would pay $3,758 in school district property taxes, based on a tax rate of $2.33 per $100 of assessed value. This is a $49 increase over the 2010 school district property tax, based on a $2.30 tax rate.
Meanwhile, the proposed $64.6 million budget is $425,291 less than the current $65 million budget. Some of the savings is attributable to salary freezes and an increase in employees’ contributions toward their health benefits.
It was also noted that $354,000 in net revenue from the district’s solar energy initiative is being used as a revenue source in the proposed budget. The solar initiative placed solar panels on the roofs of every school building in the district. The district sells solar renewable energy credits generated by the solar panels.
The district also is getting a $672,646 increase in state aid. The district received $1.5 million in state aid in 2010-11, and it will receive $2.2 million for the 2011-12 budget. The increase in state aid allowed the district to shave 2 cents off the initial tax rate increase of 5 cents, reducing it to 3 cents.
School district officials acknowledged the difficult economy, pointing out that New Jersey’s unemployment rate last month was 9.1 percent. The statewide unemployment rate in February 2007 was 4.1 percent.
Philip Meara, the superintendent of schools, said those items that make the Lawrence school district unique are being kept. This includes smaller class sizes, courtesy busing, small elementary schools that are staffed by their own principal, nurse and guidance counselor, and a full-day kindergarten program.
”We are asking for a 3-cent tax rate increase (because of the decline in ratables). That’s what we need to make the budget happen. All of these programs happen if the budget passes,” Mr. Meara said, adding that if the voters reject the tax levy, the budget would go to Township Council for its review.
When the meeting was opened for public comment, Graf Avenue resident Paul Palombi praised the school board for keeping all of the employees and for limiting the tax hike to 3 cents. He reminded the board that it was going to lay off the kindergarten aides, but chose not to do so.
”You did your job,” Mr. Palombi told the school board. “Now it’s our job to get it passed for the rest of us.”

