District bringing back three teachers, some projects
SOMERS POINT — The Somers Point Board of Education presented its amended budget June 12 after receiving some relief from the state through the Stabilized School Budget Aid Grant Program.
The new spending plan raises the tax levy 8.5 percent and tax rate 8.78 cents while using the additional monies to fund three teachers, basic supplies, technology and capital projects.
Gov. Phil Murphy signed two bills May 14 that established the grant program to provide funds equal to 45 percent of a district’s state aid reduction for 2024-2025. The bill appropriated $44.7 million to support the program.
In addition to providing supplementary state aid, the legislation allows certain districts experiencing reductions to request increases in their adjusted property tax levies in excess of the 2 percent cap to as much as 9.9 percent.
The district’s budget, adopted April 27, already had exceeded the 2 percent levy cap through the used of banked cap and a health care adjustment, calling for a tax levy increase of 4.45 percent.
After Murphy signed the bill package, the district received $510,957 in stabilization aid and was able to raise another $429,550 through the increased taxation.
Under the previous budget, the district cut 12 certified staff members and one position through attrition, gutted its Multi-Tiered System of Support, postponed or canceled capital projects, reduced all supply budgets by 10 percent and withdrew $250,000 from its maintenance.
The extra funding allowed the district to bring back three teachers at a total cost of $266,259 (salaries and benefits), purchase $12,278 worth of supplies and spend $35,000 on technology.
The district also will undertake three capital improvement project: carpeting at Dawes Avenue School ($250,000), pavement resurfacing at Jordan Road School ($175,000) and bathroom replacement at Jordan Road ($201,520).
The district received $6.1 million in state aid for 2018-19 and just $2.1 million for 2024-25, a loss of more than $4 million, or 66 percent, in just seven years under the Student Funding Reform Act of 2018. The loss for 2024-25 alone was $1,135,459 until the legislation provided the grant and levy cap waiver.
Interim Superintendent Chris Kobik, in his final meeting with the district before Ted Pugliese takes over July 1, said the district budget cannot sustain programs and services under consecutive 2 percent increases in a world with 4 percent to 7 percent cost increases.
Kobik said factors considered when deciding on the tax levy increase included the fact the district passed two budgets during the COVID-19 pandemic with no tax rate increase and that it continues to lose money under PILOT programs instituted by the city. Under two PILOTS, one for Bayview Court established in 2016 and the other for Somers Point Village Apartments established in 2022, the city’s receives a payment but no tax money, leaving the school district out of the equation.
“Without question these kinds of projects result in marked improvements in the quality of the redeveloped living communities. Nonetheless, they do also result in no tax revenue,” Kobik said.
The amended budget includes a tax levy of $12,249,606, up $929,829 from 2023-24. The tax rate, how much the district collects on each $100 of assessed value, will increase 8.788 cents to $1.075.
The owner of an average assessed home ($212,587) will pay $2,286, up $203 from 2023-24.
In addition, the Mainland Regional High School Board of Education adopted its budget calling for a 1.1-cent increase for Somers Point to 75.4 cents per $100 of assessed value. That equates to $1,603 on an average assessed home.
However, Mainland’s board had as of a meeting June 10 not decided whether to increase its tax levy beyond what had previously been approved. The board did, however, add the grant funding of $635,722 to its budget.
Somers Point City Council also adopted it budget April 25 with a 1.47-cent increase in the municipal tax rate to $1.1237. That amounts to an increase of $31.25 on an average assessed home of $212,587, for a total municipal tax bill of $2,389.
Therefore, Somers Point taxpayers will see a tax bill of $6,278, not including the county tax and any changes to the Mainland tax levy.
– By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff