LINWOOD — The administration presented its $34,361,814 budget for 2025-26 to the Mainland Regional High School Board of Education on March 10.
The budget calls for a tax rate increase of 1.9 cents to 78.44 cents per $100 in Somers Point, 2.4 cents to 78.33 cents in Linwood and 2.5 cents to 78.46 cents in Northfield.
Somers Point residents will see a regional school tax increase of $19.30 per each $100,000 of assessed value, Linwood residents $23.60 more and Northfield taxpayers $25.20 more.
Based mainly on property values and lesser so on enrollment, Somers Point pays 38.44 percent of the tax levy, or $8,999,485, Linwood pays 31.88 percent, or $7,452,677, and Northfield pays 29.68 percent, or $6,960,565
The district’s funding comes primarily from the general fund tax levy of $21,237,205, plus state aid of $6,708,488, debt service funding of $3,436,300, local revenue of $2,877,744 and federal funding of $102,077.
According to the presentation prepared by Business Administrator Chandra Coady, new revenue for the fiscal-year budget includes $416,000 in increased tax levy and $436,000 in fund balance from 2024-25.
On the debit side, the district lost $70,000 in state aid, did not get $635,000 in stabilization aid received last year and lost another $400,000 in federal funding for a total loss of more than $1.1 million.
The district also is facing a $624,000 increase in health insurance costs, a $280,000 loss in revenue and $144,000 in contractual raises. That’s a total of $1.048 million in new expenses. In addition, federal funding has been cut 80 percent to 90 percent, including a $27,000 loss in Medicaid Services to eligible students, a $225,756 loss in special education and $216,358 loss in academic improvement.
Helping the situation is the fact that the total ratable base rose in all three sending districts. Somers Point realized an increase of more than $8 million to $1.147 billion, Linwood an increase of more than $9 million to $951,440,900 and Northfield an increase of $5.65 million to $885,820,900.
According to the local fair share calculation, the district is taxing the public $405,782 less than its fair share.
Enrollment declined slightly, falling from 1,207 in October 2023 to 1,198 in October 2024. The district had 1,330 students in October 2017, losing 10 percent since that time.
A public hearing on the budget is set for 6 p.m. May 1.
– By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
