School board President Endicott on additional cuts: ‘This is unacceptable’
SOMERS POINT – The Somers Point Board of Education approved submission of the 2025-26 school year tentative budget to the New Jersey Department of Education Atlantic County office March 19 for review and approval.
The fiscal year spending plan includes a general fund of $16,294,174, special revenue fund of $2,680,918 and debt service of $903,920 for a total of $19,879,012.
The budget calls for a tax levy increase of $576,103, or 5.49 percent, to $12,825,709.
The district was able to use a tax levy adjustment from 2022–23 for eligible banked cap in the amount of $170,951 and another adjustment from 2024–25 for increased health care costs in the amount of $229,926.
The board approved a $250,000 withdrawal from maintenance reserve to support the budget.
In a bid to cut costs, the board established the school district travel maximum of $28,000 for all staff and board members.
A public hearing is scheduled for 6 p.m. May 1 at Jordan Road School.
Last year’s budget, amended after the district received stabilization aid and permission to increase its tax levy beyond 2 percent, increased the levy 8.5 percent and tax rate 8.78 cents
The district received $510,957 in stabilization aid and was able to raise another $429,550 through the increased taxation.
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.
The amended budget included 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, increased 8.788 cents to $1.075.
Mark Leung, acting business administrator, said he could not provide the expected tax rate for 2025-26.
“We have once again lost a significant amount in funding for year ’25/’26 — which has caused us to have to make difficult decisions,” board President Staci Endicott said. “We will continue to work with our administration in our advocacy efforts as we have done in previous years to secure additional funding for our district, as well as to demand a change in the antiquated state funding formula which systematically and unfairly shifts the burden of educating our children to the backs of our local taxpayers.”
Endicott said the board hopes the community will join in making their voices heard to elected officials in Trenton.
“At this point in time, our school district is already operating at $1,347,000 below adequacy. This is unacceptable,” she said.
– By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
