MONTGOMERY: Board adopts $80.8 million school budget

By Charley Falkenburg, Staff Writer
   MONTGOMERY — The Montgomery Township Board of Education unanimously voted to adopt a tentative $80.8 million budget at its Feb. 28 meeting at the Upper Middle School Media Center.
   The proposed budget has a 2.5 percent increase from the current $78.8 million operating budget, but is well under the 2 percent levy cap.
   ”The budget is keeping the community’s values and benefiting our students, while being fiscally responsible. In five years, the net increase in spending will be under 2 percent a year,” said Superintendent Earl Kim. “That’s remarkable given all the things this district does. We manage to contain spending despite healthcare costs and energy spikes.”
   Mr. Kim pointed out that the Montgomery school district continues to perform as the lowest spending, highest achieving district in the a state — a title given to the township by the commissioner of education in 2009. With the state mandated 2 percent cap, the tax levy will increase by roughly $1.2 million with a .041 and .074 cent increase for Montgomery and Rocky Hill residents respectively.
   The current budget carries a tax rate of approximately $1.87 for Montgomery and $1.15 for Rocky Hill per $100 of assessed home value. A Montgomery resident of a house assessed at $504,175 paid around $9,383 to support the school budget, while a Rocky Hill homeowner of a home assessed at $406,630 paid around $4,684.
   The estimated tax increase would increase the school tax rate to $1.91 for Montgomery and $1.23 for Rocky Hill.
   For 2012, assessed home values for Montgomery are estimated at $501,864 and $406,630 for Rocky Hill. As a result, those residents would pay an additional $208 and $303 respectively. Montgomery residents are expected to give around $9,600 to school districts and Rocky Hill residents would give almost $5,000.
   The distribution of the local tax levy is based on enrollments and equal assessed valuation. Based on Rocky Hill’s increase in enrollment and equal assessed valuation, the tax levy for those residents would increase .14 percent.
   Mr. Kim said there is a 1.4 percent increase on the general fund levy and that the total figure, including debt service, goes up a little of the 2 percent cap.
   ”It is over the cap where the taxpayer sits, although we are not over the cap from the state level,” he added.
   The budget also takes into account the $3.9 million in state aid that the township received. Business administrator Tom Venanzi said $385,000 would go toward tax relief for the citizens.
   Other amounts of the money would be designated for fuel costs, the state grant assessment, security for the high school, school grounds projects, the April election and purchasing equipment outright instead of through lease purchasing.
   The tentative budget was designed to reallocate existing resources to provide new initiatives and updated programs for students. Some include expanded co-curricular courses at middle schools, updated business courses, programs to enhance social and emotional learning and teacher learning teams to enhance professional practice. The proposed budget also calls for minor maintenance projects, reductions in staff and the elimination of the Italian program due to low enrollment.
   ”This budget enables us to achieve the board’s goals and priorities that were outlined in early fall,” said Mr. Kim. “It allows us to accomplish a lot for the students, while being dutiful to the taxpayers and mindful of the economy. This is the greatest value of education in New Jersey and I hope we get support for this year’s budget.”
   The annual school board election and budget approval will take place on April 17 at the following polling places: Princeton Elks Club, Montgomery Evangelical Free Church and Rocky Hill Borough Hall. All polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.