PETERSBURG — The Upper Township School District’s proposed budget for 2024-25 increases the tax rate 3.1 cents per $100 of assessed value and, if approved as presented, would raise the bill on an average assessed home ($288,834) by about $90.
Featuring an operating budget of $36,620,854, the spending plan increases the tax levy 2.59 percent — $551,004 to $28,101,183 under the 2 percent cap plus a $162,094 health care cap adjustment for a total of $28,263,277.
The district lost another $559,718 in state aid under the final year of the Student Funding Reform Act of 2018. Since 2016-17, the district has lost $5,986,469 in state aid, down from $10,131,084 to $4,144,615.
According to a presentation by School Business Administrator Laurie Ryan, the district will be spending “under adequacy” following the cuts in aid. She said the state pays the district $2,126 per student, while claiming it pays $13,149 per regular education student and $20,619 per special education student statewide.
The funding formula is based heavily on the community’s wealth factor: enrollment, income and equalized property value.
Changes from the previous year include a $1,680,000 increase in tuition, an increase of $219,220 in extraordinary services, a $349,661 increase in transportation, a $710,869 increase in benefits costs and elimination of $937,275 in stabilization aid.
Overall, Ryan said, the district faces a hole of $4 million.
To fund the budget, the district will utilize some of its capital reserve, maintenance reserve and tuition reserve funds.
During the Township Committee meeting March 25, Mayor Jay Newman said Deputy Mayor Kim Hayes had notified the public to look at the township website where information was posted to help the community reach out to legislators regarding school funding.
“School funding, as everybody knows, is not our purview up here. However, as governing body we have a responsibility to understand what’s going on with school funding,” he said. “At this point, we want everybody to know to go to our website, uppertownship.com, for instruction on how to contact state legislators.”
Hayes said the $6 million loss in state aid over four years equals the township’s entire tax levy.
“When Gov. Murphy says they fully funded education, it just isn’t true,” she said. “Whatever support the community can give to them, we have to do that.”
A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for 7 p.m. Monday, April 29.
– By CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff