The Upper Freehold Regional School District Board of Education has adopted a $43.23 million budget to support the operation of the school district during the 2019-20 school year.
The budget, which was adopted May 1, will be supported by a tax levy totaling $27.28 million to be paid by residential and commercial property owners in Allentown and Upper Freehold Township.
Upper Freehold property owners will pay $23.69 million of the tax levy and Allentown property owners will pay $3.59 million of the tax levy, according to district administrators.
For historical perspective, Allentown property owners paid a tax levy of $3.59 million in 2016-17, a tax levy of $3.63 million in 2017-18 and a tax levy of $3.64 million in 2018-19. Allentown’s tax levy will decrease to $3.59 million for 2019-20.
For historical perspective, Upper Freehold property owners paid a tax levy of $21.6 million in 2016-17, a tax levy of $22.09 million in 2017-18 and a tax levy of $22.96 million in 2018-19. Upper Freehold’s tax levy will increase to $23.69 million in 2019-20.
“The board has worked hard to keep the (tax levy) cap at 2% despite our loss in state aid,” Superintendent of Schools Mark Guterl said. “The budget did require some cuts, which are always the toughest obstacle when developing a budget. We do hope this budget will continue to assist in pushing our district to ensure that every child’s needs are met and every leaning experience is memorable and relevant.”
In Upper Freehold, the school tax rate is projected to be $1.8946 per $100 of assessed valuation for 2019-20. The average home in the township is assessed at $488,300 and the owner of that home will pay about $9,251 in school taxes – an increase of $281 from 2018-19, according to district administrators.
In Allentown, the school tax rate is projected to be $1.8682 per $100 of assessed valuation for 2019-20. The average home in the borough is assessed at $290,842 and the owner of that home will pay $5,433 in school taxes – a decrease of $72 from 2018-19, according to district administrators.
School taxes are one item on a property owner’s tax bill, which also includes municipal taxes and Monmouth County taxes.
The amount of taxes a property owner pays is determined by the assessed value of the individual’s home and/or property and the tax rate that is set by each taxing entity.
For 2019-20, Upper Freehold Regional will receive $5.67 million in state aid, a decrease of $174,578 from the current school year.
District administrators said salaries and benefits account for $30.355 million in the budget. The second most costly item is transportation (includes two new buses) at $2.72 million.
Staff members who are retiring will be replaced by new employees to be hired at lower salaries. In addition, 3.5 teaching positions have been cut and the child study team has been reduced by one employee.