By David Kilby, Staff Writer
JAMESBURG — At the public hearing on the Jamesburg School District’s 2011-12 proposed budget, residents said they would prefer a tax increase over a flat tax rate.
Recent Jamesburg Board of Education meetings have had a drastic increase in public attendance ever since word spread Jamesburg will be sending its high school students to a school other than the new Monroe Township High School starting in 2012.
School officials have said Jamesburg cannot afford to keep sending its students to MTHS at a tuition rate of $16,100 per student, which is likely to increase in future years as it has been in past ones.
But many residents have said they would be willing to pay higher taxes if it means their children would be allowed to attend MTHS.
School officials have reminded parents they are not the only taxpayers in Jamesburg. Also, raising taxes 2 percent would only generate $128,000 more in revenue, said Donald Peterson, board member. The board can only raise taxes more than 2 percent by referendum, he said.
The district already is paying Monroe about $290,000 extra after reaching a compromise with Monroe to set the tuition rate at $16,100 for 2011-12.
Jamesburg originally budgeted for a tuition rate of $14,985 per student, and Monroe budgeted for $18,933 per student.
The tax rate in Jamesburg school district’s tentative budget will remain flat at $2.930 per $100 of assessed valuation. The owner of a house assessed at the average of $124,190 would pay $3,638.77 in taxes per year if the budget is passed April 27.
Mr. Peterson gave a presentation on the budget at the public hearing Tuesday and shared the challenges the district faces.
Mr. Peterson said the board does not want to risk having the budget voted down because it then would have to take money out of the K-8 schools since that is the only area it has control over expenses.
”Right now the K-8 program needs all the money it can get,” he said.
The Jamesburg School District has 459 student in grades kindergarten to five and 201 in six to eight. It also has 205 students attending Monroe Township High School.
The average class size for next year is estimated to be 24 students with the largest class estimated at 29 students.
The district is budgeting to receive $4,623,885 in state aid and about $690,000 in federal aid. Part of the federal aid is a one-time grant of about $163,000, Mr. Peterson said.
Last year the district received $4,448,542 in state aid.
This year’s proposed budget is $12,437,264, which is $467,767 or 3.9 percent less than last year’s budget of $11,969,499.
Within the proposed budget, $4.4 million is for tuition to Monroe High School; $4.3 million is for salaries; $597,717 is for maintenance fees; and $468,878 is for debt service.
The district’s budget still is lower than that of the 2009-10 school year when it was $12,457,946.
”Our district’s expenses are greater than the aid provided to our school district,” Mr. Peterson said.
”Our ability to expand the community to generate additional revenue is almost nonexistent,” he added, explaining Jamesburg is just about completely built out.
”The burden to provide a thorough and efficient education falls on the taxpayers,” he added.
”Our budget as it is now is maintaining programs,” said Gail Verona, superintendent of schools. “Keeping the status quo is the best we can do right now.”
”Wayne Gretzky said ‘You miss all of the shots you don’t take,’” said Paul Gentile, of Sedwig Street, while explaining the board should risk raising taxes. “You could have asked the taxpayers for more money to reinstate programs. You negotiated among yourselves to come up with a zero percent increase.”
He added, “The children of Jamesburg are the only ones taking the burden.
He suggested looking into sharing more services with other school districts to help lower expenses.
”A zero percent increase is admirable, but citizens are saying they want something else,” said Chad Hetzell, former Jamesburg Council president. “Give us a chance to vote it down.”
He said as council president he has reviewed Jamesburg’s school budget and knows the pain it causes.
The public hearing was on the budget, but members of the public still couldn’t help but bring up the issue of Jamesburg possibly changing high schools.
Patti Florek, of Prospect Street, said she attended the Freehold Board of Education meeting Monday and heard it discuss possibly taking in Jamesburg students.
”They’ve admitted that they’ve talked to you about this,” she said. “That’s more than you’ve shared with us.”
”You could have gone to any district within 20 miles, and they could have brought Jamesburg up,” said Salvatore Brucato, board vice president. “We have not fixated on anything yet. I caution you do the same.”
”I’ve seen what goes into these budgets,” said William Cicoria, board member, who has a daughter in seventh grade who would not be attending Monroe High School. “I know the board has done all they can.”
Samantha Collura, a seventh-grade Jamesburg student, spoke at the meeting while accompanied by a handful of other Jamesburg students.
”High school is the most important four years of your life,” she said. “I want to spend those years in Monroe.”
She said her sister, Amanda Collura, 22, loved Monroe High School so much when she attended that she received the school spirit award.
”I will do anything to help my friends attend Monroe High School,” Samantha said.
”When I heard Samantha speak, I noticed I was listening to a future leader of Jamesburg,” said Sandy Sussman, Jamesburg resident, later at the meeting.

