By David Kilby, Staff Writer
Cranbury, Jamesburg and Monroe will hold their school elections April 27, and each school district has a different story to tell.
While each district is struggling to stay under the 2 percent tax levy cap, they each have different spending plans on how to do so.
The proposed 2011-12 spending plan for the Cranbury School District is $15,482,513, or 2.6 percent lower than this year’s with a total proposed tax levy of $14,941,270.That budget includes $4,818,032 for out-of-district tuition; $3,506,324 for regular programming; $2,234,605 for employee benefits; $1,130,440 for support services; $827,627 for special education; $827,610 for transportation; $750,265 for administrative services; $141,618 for co-curricular activities and athletics; and $128,862 for staff training and support, according to the presentation given on the budget at the public hearing March 22.
The tax rate in the proposed budget is 98.09 cents per $100 dollars of assessed valuation, a .387-cent increase from last year. The owner of a house assessed at the average of $608,331 would pay $5,966.99 per year, $235.66 more than last year, if the budget passes April 27.
Four candidates will compete for three open seats in Cranbury’s Board of Education election this year.
Pramod Chivate will be running for a seat on the board for the first time, and incumbents Jennifer Cooke, Kevin Fox and Evelyn Spann will be running for re-election.
The polls in Cranbury will be open from 2-9 p.m. in the municipal building on Main Street.
The tax rate in Jamesburg school district’s tentative budget would 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 passes April 27.
This year’s proposed budget for the Jamesburg School District is $12,437,264, which is $467,767 or 3.9 percent more than last year’s budget of $11,969,499.Within the proposed budget, $4.4 million would go to Monroe High School as tuition; $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.
The polls for Jamesburg’s school budget election will be open from 3-9 p.m. at the borough hall at 131 Perrineville Road.
There will be no contest in the Jamesburg Board of Education elections this year. Donald Peterson, who has served on the board for 12 years, will be stepping down this year and will be replaced by William Maresca. His only competition would be write in votes on the day of election.
The total proposed budget for Monroe School District for 2011-12 is $102,926,020 with a tax rate of $2.413 per $100 of assessed value, a 20-cent increase from the 2010-11 budget.
The owner of a house assessed at the average of $169,399 would pay $4,087.60 in taxes, $368.76 more than last year, if the budget is approved April 27.
There will be a second question on the ballot, which will ask voters to approve spending $777,237 for full-day kindergarten at Barclay Brook, Mill Lake and Oak Tree elementary schools.
The money would cover the cost of nine full-day teachers and benefits, 11 aides and additional supplies.
Four candidates will be competing for three open seats on Monroe’s Board of Education this year.
Former member Amy Antelis hopes to return to the panel after spending one year off the board, and she will be competing against incumbents Ken Chiarella, Kathy Kalupanowich and Kathy Leonard.
The polls for voting on the school board candidates and the school budget in Monroe will be open April 27 from 2-9 p.m.
Polling places will be at Brookside, Oak Tree and Woodland elementary schools, Clearbrook Cultural Center, Concordia Clubhouse, Encore Monroe, Monroe Village, The Ponds Clubhouse, Regency Clubhouse, Rossmoor Clubhouse, Monroe Township Community Center, Monroe Township Fire and Emergency Medical Facility, Monroe Township First Aid Building, Monroe Township Library and Whttingham Towne Center.

