By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
LINWOOD — Chief School Administrator Mark Marrone laid out a proposed spending plan for the 2021-22 school year during a presentation March 17 in the school auditorium.
It was the first time the Mainland Regional High School Board of Education had met physically in front of the public since the COVID-19 pandemic began in spring 2020.
“We decided since it’s safe for the students to return more to the building that it’s only right that the board meet in person,” said Jill Ojserkis, the board president.
Marrone told what he called “A Budget Story,” which had a different ending for each of the three sending districts.
The total budget equals $31,206,628, which is supported by a tax levy of $19,016,247, state aid of $8,329,557 and fund balance of $3,358,461.
Northfield’s ending is the happiest, with the regional school district tax rate declining by 1.7 cents per $100 of assessed value to 72.3 cents. Linwood taxpayers also will see a decline, but barely, with their tax rate falling from 70.4 cents to 70.3 cents. The conclusion is not as bright in Somers Point, where taxpayers will see the regional school portion of their tax bill increase by 4 cents to 74.3 cents per $100. That’s on top of a 4.5-cent increase the previous year.
What that all means is that a Linwood property owner will owe $703.63 for each $100,000 of value, a Northfield owner will owe $722.53 for each $100,000 and a Somers Point owner will owe $743.05 per $100,000.
That’s on top of any increases in the municipal, local school and county tax rates.
Southern New Jersey’s steady decline in taxable value appears to be close to leveling off, an important factor in both municipal and school district budgets. Through the appeals process, all three cities have seen property values plummet for the past decade.
In 2016, Linwood’s ratable base was $978,750,200, Northfield’s was $921,913,460 and Somers Point’s was $1,172,378,100. In 2021, Linwood was at $930,606,100, Northfield was at $869,648,060 and Somers Point was at $1,130,903,633.
According to information provided in the presentation, the total loss of ratables in the sending districts since 2015 is $166,896,067 — Linwood: $55,446,100; Northfield: $63,895,400; Somers Point: $47,554,567.
Based on the equalized valuation, Linwood property owners pay 31 percent of the regional school tax, Northfield owners pay 30 percent and Somers Point owners pay 40 percent. That’s despite Northfield having the most students with 453, followed by Somers Point with 387 and Linwood with 382.
The budget calls for collecting a total of $6,542,327 from Linwood, $6,283,471 from Northfield and $8,403,128 from Somers Point.
Marrone said the total allowed increase in the spending plan may not exceed 2 percent of the previous year’s budget, or $374,704. The budget proposed for 2021-22 calls for an increase of 1.5 percent, or $281,028.
According to the presentation, the COVID-19 pandemic led to many unanticipated expenses, including hiring a wellness counselor ($64,581); substitutes, an outside custodial company and overtime pay ($96,452); disinfecting/cleaning equipment and supplies ($82,300); and technology hardware and software ($198,993) for a total of $442,326.
The district received $140,277 in CARES Act funding that helped pay for part of the technology expenses, but was left with a bill for $302,049.
However, more than $650,000 in additional grant funding is anticipated as President Joe Biden’s federal stimulus bill unfolds. Marrone said plans for those funds include upgrades to the HVAC system in the auditorium and TV studio ($574,652), creation of a summer program for remediation and accreditation and continuing to support a mental health wellness team.
He said many southern New Jersey districts have seen enrollment fall as the result of the decline in the Atlantic City casino industry, which was exacerbated when the gaming halls were forced to close for months last year. According to the presentation, the district has reduced its staffing accordingly, eliminating 70 positions since 2010, or 25 percent of the staff.
One method used to do so is providing teachers with additional instruction time. Those who are assigned more than 75 teaching periods per set rotation as per contract are compensated for the additional hours. This allows the district to provide “instruction opportunities with our existing staff” without hiring an additional teacher, eliminating their costly medical benefits and pension payments. The contracts with the district’s two unions — the Mainland Regional Administrators Association and the Mainland Regional Education Association — call for a 2.75 percent increase for each.
Health care costs are forecast to increase 2 percent, or $185,000, which is less than half of the increase for the prior year (4.7 percent). According to the presentation, all staff and faculty are enrolled in NJDIRECT15. Effective at the beginning of the calendar year, all new hires seeking health benefits must enroll in the New Jersey Educators Health Plan.
The district has created a self-contained multiply disabled classroom to lower the cost of special education. Anticipated costs factoring into this budget total $4,342,960. The administration plans to evaluate out-of-district placements and educate some of the students at the high school to reduce that cost.
In addition, the district must pay $887,206 in tuition to Charter Tech High School for the Performing Art and the Atlantic County Institute of Technology.
Sports and co-curricular clubs, including the aquatic center, will cost the district $1,482,205, up $43,782 from the previous year.
Total technology costs, including lease and licensing agreements; repairs, maintenance and replacement, will be just more than $1 million. Recommended cost-reduction measures associated with technology include replacing maintenance contracts by purchasing blocks of service hours.
Other cost-saving measures include shared service agreements for purchasing, joint-bid banking services, buying fuel from the county and continuing to be insured by the Joint Insurance Fund.
The district also is maintaining a skilled facilities staff to perform work in-house rather than through an outside vendor. These six staff members have expertise in HVAC, electrical, plumbing, carpentry and grounds/swimming pool
Food service is also an area of savings, with the district contracting with an outside food management company that hires and employees the entire food service staff.
