By Mark Rosman
Staff Writer
The Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District Board of Education has adopted an $88.77 million budget to operate the district from July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017.
The budget will be supported by the collection of $61.71 million in taxes from residential and commercial property owners in Manalapan and Englishtown. The district will receive $20.11 million in state aid and administrators will use $3 million from surplus funds (savings) as revenue in the budget.
According to Business Administrator Veronica Wolf, highlights of the budget for the upcoming school year include the following: digital conversion – 600 new Chromebook laptop computers for the incoming sixth grade class; no reductions in current academic programs; the continued suspension of activity fees; funding maintained for field trips.
Administrators said the budget includes the elimination of the technology coach position and the elimination of two elementary teaching positions due to a decline in enrollment. The district’s enrollment was 5,312 pupils in 2010-11. Enrollment has declined every year since then, with the exception of a 1 percent increase in 2014-15. For the 2016-17 school year, enrollment is expected to be 4,974 pupils.
According to the board, the K-8 school tax rate for Manalapan will be 94.2 cents per $100 of assessed valuation for 2016-17.
The owner of a home that is assessed at $225,000 will pay $2,119 in K-8 school taxes during the next year. The owner of a home that is assessed at the township average of $408,142 will pay $3,844 in K-8 school taxes during the next year. The owner of a home that is assessed at $650,000 will pay $6,123 in K-8 school taxes during the next year.
According to the board, the K-8 school tax rate for Englishtown will be 91.7 cents per $100 of assessed valuation for 2016-17.
The owner of a home that is assessed at $200,000 will pay $1,834 in K-8 school taxes during the next year. The owner of a home that is assessed at the borough average of $299,716 will pay $2,748 in K-8 school taxes during the next year. The owner of a home that is assessed at $450,000 will pay $4,126 in K-8 school taxes next year.
According to the district, the per pupil cost in Manalapan-Englishtown is $17,686. The state average per pupil cost for a K-8 school district is $19,355.
Capital improvements for 2016-17 will include a storage building for the physical plant compound at the Manalapan Englishtown Middle School (MEMS); the replacement of three fan coil units at the Wemrock Brook School; upgrades to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning roof units at the Clark Mills and Taylor Mills schools; Phase 2 of the locker replacement program at MEMS; and district-wide security system upgrades.