District eyes 1-cent tax rate hike
By Amber Cox
SPRINGFIELD — The $4.7 million final 2011-12 Springfield Township School District budget, adopted unanimously March 29, calls for a 1 cent tax rate hike for the district.
Residents will have a tax rate of 70 cents per $100. Homeowners assessed at the average $321,420 will pay $2,249.94 in taxes, an increase of $31.
The budget includes $213,180 in reductions because of the 2 percent state-mandated cap.
Interim Superintendent Joseph Miller said that in the beginning of the budget process the revenue and expenditure sides never match up. He explained that the most important part of the budget is getting both lines to match.
”If the budget passes, the school district simply certifies the tax levy amount to the county,” Mr. Miller said. “If the budget fails, the school district has three days in which to deliver the failed budget along with support documentation to the members of the Township Committee. Their responsibility then is to examine the budget and determine if they feel any additional cuts can be made.”
Mr. Miller said the cutoff date for the Township Committee to certify the local tax levy is May 19.
Business Administrator Edward Kent said the proposed $3.1 million tax levy would cover all of the instruction for the district which is budgeted at $2.7 million.
The school board is also asking voters to say yes to a special ballot question to fund $99,277 for a full-day kindergarten program.
The board began discussing the possibility of a full-day program back in January.
”In order to increase the quality of our educational program we need to implement a full-day kindergarten program,” Mr. Miller said. “I believe out of 42 districts in Burlington County there are only about half a dozen that still have half-day kindergarten programs. The vast majority have gone over to full-day programs.”
Mr. Miller explained that of the $99,277, 64 percent of the amount is for salary, benefits and the cost of substitute teachers. The school would have to hire another teacher because it currently has one teacher covering the morning and afternoon sections for kindergarten.
”Right now, we have one teacher teaching kindergarten,” Mr. Miller said. “She teaches a morning session and an afternoon session. If we have a full-day program that teacher would then be teaching one of those groups all day and we would have to have a second teacher teach the other group all day.”
The other 36 percent is a one-time startup expense.
”From the start we would have to outfit a brand new room for kindergarten,” he said. “The state has very particular rules for kindergarten programs. It requires a kindergarten classroom to have more floor space than a regular classroom. It has to have its own lavatory. It has to have certain types of furniture and there’s a very strict number of students allowed in the classroom.”
None of the restrictions apply for any other grade levels, according to Mr. Miller.
All of the expenses for the full-day program adds up to more than the proposed $99,277, however there will be a cost-savings with the elimination of two midday bus runs.
”Right now, the morning kindergarten students ride the regular buses in the morning but then when their session is finished a special bus comes and picks them up and takes them home,” Mr. Miller said. “An hour later another special bus goes around and picks up the afternoon kindergarten students, brings them to school and then they go home on the regular buses in the afternoon. Those two midday buses would be eliminated if we had a full-day kindergarten program.”
The elimination of the two midday bus runs would save $7,500.
Mr. Miller also said that if the question passes it must be implemented and all of the money proposed cannot go to any other purpose “except for implementing the kindergarten program.”
If the question passes there would be an increase of 2.2 cents for the tax rate, so residents in the district would be paying 73 cents per $100 assessed valuation. Also, for the first time in 15 years the district is free of debt service. The last payment for the new wing of the building, built 15 years ago, was paid in March.
”For 15 years we’ve been paying this (debt service) but we just paid our last payment in March,” Mr. Miller said. “Last year we paid $188,000 toward that debt service, but for this year we have put in $0 because it is totally paid off. Just that change alone reflects a bottom line difference of 4.2 cents on the tax rate so it reduces our tax rate by 4.2. cents.”
Mr. Miller explained that if the question passes residents would actually be paying .6 cents less than they are now because of the debt service. Currently, residents are paying 73.6 cents per $100.
”We’re asking you to also approve the kindergarten second question and it (tax rate) goes up but compared to the retirement of the 15 year debt service payment, your actual total tax payment would go down and you as a taxpayer would be paying less next year than you’re paying this year,” he said.
The district will have three 3-year seats vacant at the time of elections and incumbents Lisa Giovanelli, David Reinisch and James Specca are running. No one filed for the one one-year unexpired term.
Elections are April 27 with polls open from 2 to 9 p.m. at the Springfield municipal building.
”No matter which election district you happen to be situated in, all districts vote at the municipal building,” Mr. Miller said.

