By Matthew Sockol
Staff Writer
SAYREVILLE – The Sayreville Board of Education has adopted a 2017-18 budget that will carry an approximate $79 tax increase for the owner of a home assessed at the borough average.
On May 2, following discussion among district administrators and board members, a $91.6 million budget was adopted.
The budget will be supported by a tax levy of $63.7 million to be paid by Sayreville’s residential and commercial property owners. Taxpayers will fund 69.6 percent of the cost of operating the borough’s schools.
Other revenue in the budget includes $21.5 million in state aid (23.4 percent) and $2.4 million from surplus funds.
The school district’s 2016-17 budget totaled $90.3 million and was supported by a tax levy of $62.3 million. The average home was assessed at $144,000, the school tax rate was $2.73 per $100 of assessed valuation and the owner of that home paid $3,936 in school taxes.
For 2017-18, the school tax rate will increase to $2.79, while the average home remains assessed at $144,000. The owner of that home will pay $4,015 in school taxes over the next 12 months – an increase of $79.
At the end of the 2016-17 school year, the amount of students enrolled in the district was 6,238. For the 2017-18 school year, the projected amount of students enrolled in the district is 6,303 – an increase of 65.
“We would like to commend Erin Hill, our business administrator, and our Board of Education Finance Committee for once again working collaboratively with our staff and community to develop a budget that is fiscally responsible and in alignment with our Vision 2030 and the rigorous student achievement and business efficiency goals that have been established in pursuit of it,” Superintendent of Schools Richard Labbe said. “While the fact that our district continues to operate about $19 million below state adequate funding levels as set forth in the current school funding formula, we remain vigilant in allocating the necessary funding to promote the most optimum outcomes for our students and hopeful that a change will eventually be made in Trenton.”
Resident Barbara Kilcommons spoke positively of the budget.
“I am extremely critical of budgets downtown, but I am not critical of budgets for our school system,” she said. “I firmly believe in education and I don’t mind spending a dime on the children of our town.”
Contact Matthew Sockol at [email protected].