EAST BRUNSWICK — The Board of Education has adopted a budget that will increase the school tax rate by about 19 cents per $100 of assessed value.
The budget, which was adopted by a unanimous vote at the board’s May 7 meeting, increases the school budget from $140.2 million to $143.3 million. The budget is supported by a $119.5 million tax levy — an increase of 2.99 percent over last year and above the state-mandated cap due to use of banked cap funds.
State aid remains flat at $17.84 million. Per-pupil spending is $15,185.
The school tax rate will increase by 19.6 cents to $6.63 per $100 of assessed home valuation.
Under the 2015-16 budget, the owner of a home valued at $100,000 would see school taxes rise to $6,630 — up $150 from last year’s $6,480 school tax bill. The school tax does not include municipal, county or library taxes.
“We are blessed with a very strong financial department with talented people that watch over the public’s money,” Superintendent of Schools Victor Valeski said.
Board member Kevin McEvoy congratulated Valeski and noted that this was the first budget of his tenure as head of the school district.
“I just want to send kudos to Dr. Valeski because this was his first East Brunswick budget,” he said, adding that the administration puts a significant amount of work into the budget.
The budget provides for capital improvements and technological investments throughout the school district. The spending plan also allocates funding for new textbooks and equipment for foreign language, science, language arts, music and math classes.
The district will also hire 13 additional teachers who will be distributed throughout the schools.
The new staff will include two preschool teachers, two science teachers, one health teacher, one language learning disability teacher with an assistant, one behavioral disability teacher with an assistant, one mental disability teacher, and one autism teacher with an assistant.
“I just want the public to know the amount of hard work that goes into putting together a fiscally sound budget so that our children — our students — are the best,” McEvoy said.
According to district officials, East Brunswick is the 28th largest school district in the state, operating 11 schools with an enrollment of 10,454. It is also the largest employer in East Brunswick.