The average Mt. Laurel taxpayer with a home assessed at $142,100 can expect a $49.73 tax increase this year based upon the 2012–13 Mt. Laurel School District’s budget, according to school officials.
Director of Communication Services Marie Reynolds said a home assessed at $200,000 would have a $70 increase for the year.
The total budget is increasing 1.3 percent, or $815,835, for a tax-rate increase of 3.5 cents.
This year’s budget will go into effect on July 1 and remain accordingly until June 30, 2013.
According to Assistant Superintendent for Business and Board Secretary Robert Wachter Jr., during the public hearing on Tuesday, March 28, the budget this year amounts to $66,944,551.
Local school taxes bring the funds to 84.5 percent of the budget.
“That’s what we’re faced with,” he said.
The district generates almost 6 percent as well.
State aid this year will amount to 7.5 percent, while federal aid is at 2 percent.
The vast majority of the budget, at 72 percent, will be spent toward instructional programs. The rest is budgeted to transportation costs, capital outlay, debt service, operation and maintenance utilities, and administrative costs.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Antoinette Rath explained, “this is not a small organization,” with a current enrollment of 4,238 and creating the budget is “quite an impressive duty.”
The budget goals, she explained in the presentation, were to “clearly” stay within the 2-percent state-mandated cap, keep tax impact as low as possible and enhance academic programs.
The school also wanted to retain class sizes and wean off the use of “one-time fixes.”
She said the average tax impact is the same as last year’s on the average township homeowner, and the budget is $159,875 below the cap.
The district was able to budget $495,000 less in fund balance.
Common Core State Standards of Curriculum Revisions are included in the budget for technology, media and math grades six through eight. New textbooks for various subjects are included as well.
The school plans to align with curriculum standards of the Lenape Regional High School District for algebra 1, geometry and Spanish.
A technology infrastructure upgrade project has been planned.
“Technology is the backbone of education today,” said Rath.
Included in technology upgrades are a one-stop shop school messenger emergency notification program, and mobile website and PowerSchool access, which Rath called, “Quite amazing.”
After-school participants in the no-fee interscholastic program will retain the lack of cost.
For those looking to apply to work within the district, the process will now occur online, as the personnel office will no longer be accepting paper resumes in an effort to be green.
Dennis Riley, chairman of the township’s planning board, spoke to the board during the public portion of the hearing.
He said he was hoping for no increase in the budget, and said that the schools take up 65 percent of the township budget when combined with the Lenape District.
“I think the education is wonderful,” he said. However, “We have to cut” due to the economy.
“We need to have this conversation,” he said.
Rath responded that the school district is a large business and requires funds to operate.
She said that the district makes many savings on a reoccurring basis.
A copy of the budget presentation in a user-friendly format can be found on the school district’s website, www.mtlaurelschools.org.
“Our public schools are the jewel of our community,” Rath said.
