WEST AMWELL: South budget hearing March 21

By John Tredrea, Special Writer
   WEST AMWELL — A tentative $11,131,238 budget for 2013-14 was OK’d by the South Hunterdon Regional High School Board of Education March 4, said Kerry Sevilis, district business administrator and board secretary.
   The budget has been sent to the county superintendent of schools for approval. “Once the county approves (the budget), it will be on our website,” said Ms. Sevilis. The website is: www.shrhs.org.
   Set for March 21 at 7 p.m. at the high school is a school board meeting, which will include time for public input on the budget. Formal action is expected to be taken at that meeting.
   The budget “is within cap with adjustments,” said Ms. Sevilis, who added: “It will not go to voters.”
   If the budget were adopted in its current form, local taxes would raise $9,240,692 of total budget, with the $1,890,546 balance coming from other anticipated sources of revenue.
   Debt service in the tentative budget totals $1,604,985, of which $1,202,209 would be paid by local taxes, with the $402,756 balance covered by other sources of revenue.
   There is no state aid to the district in the proposed budget.
   Included in the proposal is an adjustment for increases in costs of health benefits in the amount of $18,544.00. The additional funds are included in the base budget and would be used to pay for the additional increases in health benefits.
   The proposed spending plan also has provisions on reimbursements for travel and related expenses, which are related to and within their job responsibilities, by school staff and school board members.
   There is an annual limit of $150 for staff and board members on those reimbursable expenses. The maximum amount the budget allows for all staff and board members is $65,000.
    LAST MARCH 29, the school board OK’d a $10,752,762 budget for 2012-13. That was the first year school district residents did not get to vote on the budget.
   The school board had opted to eliminate the April election and switch to the November general election, at which time South voters picked school board members for the first time. That election had been held in April.
   The same is expected this year. School board candidates must file by June 4 (primary election) to run in November.