Northfield, Linwood: little change
By DAVID NAHAN
Sentinel staff
LINWOOD – Somers Point will feel the biggest hit from the Mainland Regional High School 2020-21 $30 million budget.
The MRHS Board of Education approved the budget Thursday, April 30, that covers the communities of Somers Point, Linwood and Northfield.
Although the assessed values of homes are down in all three towns, Somers Point residents will feel an increase of $45.56 per $100,000 in assessed value, while Linwood and Northfield residents will see their taxes decline ever so slightly.
According to the figures presented April 30, for a $100,000 house, the tax bill in Somers Point will go from $657.72 this year to $703.28 in the 2020-21 budget. In Linwood, it will drop from $711.73 to $703.63 and in Northfield from $747.11 to $740.04.
The tax rate decreased $0.008 in Linwood and $0.007 in Northfield and rose by $0.045 in Somers Point.
Chief School Administrator Mark Marrone presented the budget in a meeting the public was able to attend online through Zoom. He said although the district could have increased the budget by 2 percent, “to be responsible, we did 1.5 percent.”
The total general fund budget is $30,168,356 with a proposed tax levy of $18,735,219.
He said the school is expecting $8,402,381 in aid from the state – at this point.
Marrone noted that the aquatic center, all 61 clubs and all athletic programs are being funded in the budget at a total cost of $1,438,421. A special expense is paying for new band uniforms, a cost of $75,000, because the Mainland Mustang Marching Band hasn’t gotten new uniforms in about a decade.
Marrone also pointed out that MRHS has reduced staffing by 25 percent since 2010 along with a decline in enrollment.
Expenses include raises for teachers under the Mainland Regional Education Association contract that are 2.9 percent for the 2020-21 school year and 2.75 percent for the 2021-22 school year.
Among some of the highlighted costs are $564,620 to the special services school districts, $265,000 for transportation and drivers, $79,744 for (two) incarcerated students and tuition paid to Charter Tech High School for the Performing Arts and Atlantic County Institute of Technology. Marrone said 21 students in the district attend Charter Tech and 58 attend ACIT at a cost of $909,867. Many of those students, he pointed out, attend the other schools because they offer curriculums not available at MRHS.
Technology expenses are $725,420 in the 2020-21 budget.
The budget that was proposed and adopted, and approved by the county executive superintendent of schools, still remains contingent on what the state does on funding.
Board members noted an important savings continues to be the fact the school uses Marrone as the chief school administrator and he fulfills the role of both superintendent and principal, saving the district money by not having two administrators in those roles.
Board members thanked the staff members, department heads and finance committee members for working on the budget for months before the April 30 presentation.
Others pointed out that they try to be responsible.
“We don’t spend it unless we need to,” said Board President Jill Ojserksis. “I appreciate the hard work of the administrative team, of the MREA, of everyone affiliated with the school and board to put together a responsible budget. I hope Somers Point understands it. It is not always the cast the Somers Point has gotten the increase.”