By Matthew Sockol
Staff Writer
MILLSTONE – The Millstone Township K-8 School District Board of Education has adopted a $38.2 million budget for 2017-18 that will see residents pay more in school taxes over the next year.
The budget was adopting following a discussion among district administrators and board members at an April 24 meeting.
The 2017-18 budget will be supported by a tax levy of $31.3 million to be paid by Millstone’s residential and commercial property owners. Other revenues will include $5 million in state aid and $533,187 from the district’s surplus funds (savings), according to the board.
The school district’s 2016-17 budget totaled $37.5 million and was supported by a tax levy of $30.9 million. The school tax rate was $1.67 per $100 of assessed valuation and the owner of a home assessed at $500,000 paid $8,350 in school taxes.
For 2017-18, the school tax rate will increase to $1.71 per $100 of assessed valuation. The owner of a home assessed at $500,000 will pay about $8,550 in school taxes – an increase of $200.
School taxes are one component of a property owner’s tax bill, which also includes Monmouth County taxes, Millstone Township municipal taxes, a fire district tax and other assessments. Individuals pay more or less in taxes depending on the assessed value of their home and/or property.
Board Vice President Melissa Riviello and board members David DePinho, John Sico, Kevin McGovern, Billy Hanson, Cynthia Bailey and Margaret Gordon voted to adopt the budget. Board President Sal Casale and board member Amy Jacobson were absent.
“The budget for next year is exceptional considering the incredible increases each year in healthcare costs,” Superintendent of Schools Scott Feder said. “This year in fact, healthcare alone went up for the district more than the entire tax levy increase that was adopted last night. We do this through a sincere consideration to two major factors: student programming and tax impact.
“I am proud to say we have designed a budget that continues all student programming, maintains excellent class size, with as minimal an impact to the taxpayer as possible given the circumstances that are out of district control,” Feder said.
“I am not saying that any tax increase is ever desired, but I hope all can understand that the fiscal responsibility and multi-year planning used by this board continues to be atypical in the field of education.
“The board again left hundreds of thousands of dollars on the table from banked (tax levy) cap and did not use any of the available waivers, which both would simply have amounted to higher increases in taxes.
“Millstone is fortunate to have such an impressive and dedicated group of board members who have figured out the balance of high performing schools with managed tax impact,” Feder said.
The district includes the Millstone Township Primary School, the Millstone Township Elementary School and the Millstone Township Middle School. Officials have said there are just under 1,100 K-8 pupils enrolled in the district during the 2016-17 school year.