By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
A $91.4 million school budget will go to the county superintendent of schools for review and approval before the Princeton school board adopts it in April.
The board on Tuesday voted to approve a tentative spending plan with a $76.1 million tax levy, which translates into a $215 tax hike at the average home assessment of $810,191.
At the board meeting, Princeton Superintendent of Schools Stephen C. Cochrane described how the district tried to “maintain costs at the lowest level possible,” despite increases in salaries by $696,564 and other budget line items. Health benefits costs, for example, are due to grow by $896,565.
The district took advantage of two permitted waivers — for health care costs and enrollment — to raise the tax rate above the 2-percent cap.
Mr. Cochrane said that “most” of the $1.6 million worth of requests by district administrators, would not be funded this year. But he said a new high school counselor, one of the requested items, is in the budget.
The board is scheduled to adopt the budget on April 26, also when the district will make a detailed presentation of the spending plan at that night’s meeting. Between now and then, Mr. Cochrane said there is time to make “adjustments” to the budget.
School board president Andrea Spalla said she supported the budget, despite “reservations” she had “because of the tax increase and the impact on our constituents.”
“So I think that we all, as board members, should work together toward seeing how things could be done more efficiently,” said fellow board member Dafna Kendall.
