Moorestown voters headed to the polls yesterday for the annual school election and the results are in: the school district’s proposed 2011–12 budget has passed.
According to results released by the school district, 2,066 voters said ‘yes’ to the MTPS proposed tax levy and 1,076 voters said ‘no’ to the budget.
“The entire educational community deeply appreciates the support of the township’s voters. We remain fully committed to providing all of our 4,200 students with a distinctive, high quality educational experience,” Superintendent John Bach said.
The budget carries a 1.19 percent tax levy increase over last year. Residents in the average assessed home of $534,100 will pay an increase of $80 per year, or $6.67 per month, in school taxes.
The approved budget includes the elimination of 31 full time equivalent positions for the coming school year, reductions that will result in elimination and modifications to programs across the district.
Reductions include the elimination of two full time equivalent teaching positions in the elementary schools based on enrollment projections, one auditory impairment interpreter because the program is being eliminated across the district, one teacher and one paraprofessional position due to the elimination of the pre first program, one challenge program position, and one world language teacher.
At Moorestown Upper Elementary School, two FTE teacher positions and one secretarial position will be nixed due to enrollment projections and efficiencies. A technology teacher will be eliminated, modifying technology as a stand-alone program, and one world languages teacher position will be eliminated.
At the William Allen Middle School, one family and consumer science position will be eliminated, in addition to one careers teaching position, and one world languages position.
Cuts at Moorestown High School include the elimination of a secretary position, one building manager position, and a family and consumer science position.
At the administrative level, one transportation secretary, a technology administrator, an assessments and evaluation administrator, and an education supervisor will be eliminated. In addition, six buildings and grounds positions will be outsourced. The cuts also call for the elimination of the auditory impairment program, nixing all of the interpreter positions across the district.
The district plans to implement a student activity fee. Fees will be capped at $600 per family. The fee schedule includes a $200 fee for each high school sport a student plays and a $200 annual fee for each student that participates in the theater programs at the high school. Middle school sports will cost $100 each and there will be a $100 annual fee for theater. The UES will also incorporate a $50 annual fee for theater.
In addition to the budget, voters also re-elected incumbent Board members Don Mishler and Christina Zajac to terms on the Moorestown Township Board of Education. Newcomer Leigh A. Powell was also elected to a three-year term on the Board. The race was not officially contested, but there were 1,022 write-in votes cast yesterday. Resident Chris Moye had announced his intentions to run as a write-in candidate to The Sun.
