By Amber Cox
MANSFIELD The $10.3 million final 2011-12 Mansfield Township School District Budget, adopted unanimously March 28, calls for a 1.8-cent tax rate hike for the district.
Residents will have a tax rate of 70.7 cents per $100. Homeowners assessed at the average $339,100 will pay $2,397.44 in taxes, an increase of $60.70.
The budget calls for an $8.4 million tax levy, which accounts for 82.16 percent of the whole budget.
This is the first time in four years that there are not any reductions being proposed in the budget, according to Superintendent Diane Bacher’s presentation at the public hearing.
The area of instruction will receive the biggest financial increase of 9 percent of $485,570. The amount planned for instruction is $5.4 million or 53.39 percent of the budget.
The plan includes hiring a fourth-grade teacher, a part-time kindergarten teacher and moving a part-time basic skills teacher to full time. It also calls for the replacement of 33 computers and 17 teacher laptop computers, a new server, language arts materials, science materials and the continued use of Learnia, a classroom assessment system.
In order to generate revenue, the school board will continue its before- and after-school program, the kindergarten connection, renting out rooms to the Y.A.L.E. school and sell solar renewable energy credits.
The district plans to generate savings by keeping up with energy efficiency, shared services and consortiums and staff contribution to health benefits.
Reductions since the 2002-03 school year have equaled to $443,768 or 6.6 teaching positions.
Two three-year seats will be vacant at the time of the school board election, April 27. The incumbents are Curtis Wyers and Joe Broski.
Voters in districts 1, 7 and 8 will be at the Northern Burlington County Regional High School; districts 2 and 3 at the Mansfield Municipal Complex; districts 4 and 5 at the Homestead Clubhouse; and district 6 at the Four Seasons Clubhouse.

