SOUTH AMBOY – The 2018-19 school budget introduced by the South Amboy Board of Education contains a tax increase of about $100 for the owner of a home assessed at the city’s average.
During a meeting on March 19, board members introduced a tentative budget of $18.4 million for the upcoming school year. A public hearing and possible adoption is scheduled for April 30.
Business Administrator Peter Frascella said administrators are proposing to collect $9.49 million in taxes from the city’s residential and commercial property owners to support the $18.4 million spending plan. He said the school district will receive $6.74 million in state aid, the same amount as last year, and expects to use $158,747 from surplus funds (savings).
The school district’s 2017-18 budget totals $18.26 million and is supported by a tax levy of $9.31 million. The 2018-19 budget is up a total of $140,000 and the tax levy is up $180,000 from the current school year.
Frascella said South Amboy’s school tax rate is projected to increase from $1.097 per $100 of assessed valuation to $1.135 per $100. The average home assessment has decreased from $270,419 to $270,104.
The owner of a home assessed at the city average in 2017 paid about $2,966 in school taxes. The owner of a home assessed at the city average in 2018 will pay about $3,065 in school taxes – an increase of $99.
Frascella said administrators are anticipating an enrollment of 1,050 pupils for the 2018-19 school year. He said the number of staff members is expected to remain the same, but could increase based on need. The district educates pupils in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade and operates two buildings: the South Amboy Elementary School and the South Amboy Middle High School.