While there are plenty of “what-ifs” that need to be figured out moving forward, it could shape up to be a smooth budget year for 2012–2013.
Superintendent Richard Perry and Business Administrator Andy Hall presented a very preliminary 2012–2013 school district budget. According to Perry, the school district is predicting revenues of about $32.55 million for 2012–2013. This is based on a flat school tax levy from 2011–2012, Perry said, and flat state aid of $318,000.
Last year the district raised about $30.8 million in school taxes. In 2011–2012, the school district raised the school tax rate by about 1.75 percent, below the state mandated 2 percent cap.
The revenue total is increasing by about $530,000 from the 2011–2012 year, Perry said, about 1.6 percent. The largest increase is in the excess fund balance, which is increasing by $570,000, up to $679,000 from $109,000 in 2011–2012.
Revenue tuition will be about $300,000 next year, Perry said, an increase of 31 percent — or $80,000 — from last year.
It’s interesting to note that the revenue figures are coming in about $76,900 higher than the predicted appropriations for 2012–2013.
The one point of bad news, Hall said, is that for the second year in a row the borough’s ratables decreased. This year the ratables are down by more than $6 million, he said, which means that to maintain the same tax levy for 2012–13 the school tax rate has to increase by about .3 percent.
However, BOE Member Dennis Kelleher said the tax rate increase is about the same as the increase in revenue for next year, so it’s almost a wash.
Total salaries are increasing next year by 1.78 percent, Hall reported, and will come in at a total of $20.1 million. This includes the newly approved Haddonfield Education Association contracts and a 2 percent increase in salary for the outsourced custodial staff, he said.
There are still several uncertainties moving forward in the budget process, Hall said, as Gov. Chris Christie has yet to announce the state aid figures for school district. Also, special education costs and the PERS pension costs are unknown at this point, Hall said, but the district is predicting the cost of special education to remain flat and the PERS pension costs to possibly drop. The PERS cost was a big ticket item this year, Hall said, coming in at about $450,000.
The local purpose school tax rate will be unknown until these figures come in and the BOE members decide on what capital improvement projects to pursue in 2012–2013.
At the next scheduled board of education meeting — Thursday, Feb. 23 — the board should have the state aid figures, Hall said. More information on the capital improvement program will be shared as well.
In other board of education news:
The annual Haddonfield School District election will be held during the November general election this year. The board passed the measure overwhelmingly, with nearly all members approving the move. Member Andrew Berlin abstained from the vote, but said he still approved of the move.
The board’s annual reorganization meeting will be held on Thursday, Jan. 3.
The move will save the district thousands of dollars, Hall previously reported, as the district currently spends about $22,000 a year on its election. The way the bill is written, the school district would be responsible for any additional costs that the County Board of Elections incurs if it holds the additional election in November. By early estimates, this would likely be between $2,000 to $5,000, he said.
Additionally, the bill allows all school budgets that fall within the 2-percent cap to be passed automatically, with no approval needed by township voters. A school board would have to present a “second question” for voter approval if a budget is proposed to exceed the 2-percent cap.
