Medford Township school taxes could cost homeowners an additional $198 per the average assessed home of $330,013, according to Chad Fires, the district business administrator.
The proposed preliminary budget of $50.5 million was presented without the 2013–2014 state aid numbers. The budget estimation was created based on last year’s aid.
Gov. Christie gave the budget address on Tuesday, Feb. 26.
Municipalities and school aid numbers weren’t available at press time. A meeting was scheduled for Monday, March 4, for the board to approve those numbers.
Without the increased tax levy, the district would be short $1.1 million, according to Fires.
The tax increase surpasses the required 2 percent cap, however the district won’t need to rely on a referendum. The school will be utilizing a bank cap from the district coming in under the 2011–2012 cap.
The district has an allotted amount of time to use the bank cap, or it will be lost, according to Fires.
Fires co-presented the preliminary budget with superintendent of schools Joseph Del Rossi during the Feb. 25 board of education meeting.
According to Del Rossi, the district’s goals under the preliminary budget will be to maintain and/or enhance all instructional programs, including core subjects, related arts and specialized programs, professional development and address the district’s capital improvement projects that have been put off for the past five years, including upgrading telecommunication systems.
Additionally, three new jobs, including two teachers and a secretary, are included in the preliminary budget.
Projected class sizes have played a role for the district moving forward.
“We’re unhappy with the result of 17 students per class per section,” Del Rossi said.
There are currently 193 students enrolled in kindergarten.
Enrollment directly correlates to what’s going on in the township, Del Rossi said.
In 2010–2011 district enrollment was at 3,014, and has since steadily declined.
In 2011–2012, registration dropped to 2,933 with a projection of 2,799 in 2013–2014 school year and an estimated 2,600 students for enrollment, in the 2015–2016 school year.
“That’s a major loss to our school district. That’s an entire school building,” Del Rossi said. Del Rossi attributes the issue to young families having fewer children than they did in the past.
Additionally, the ability to quickly sell houses has affected enrollment, according to Del Rossi. Without housing turnover, younger families are not moving into the township.
“This could change the face of our school district. If I were 25 years old and I had to pay the median here in Medford, the first thing I would do is look at the school district and compare it to the neighboring town,” Del Rossi said, noting the lack of full-day kindergarten and no full-time media specialist, music or physical education teachers. “Maybe we’re not as attractive as we were.”
Those details, in addition to township’s proposed municipal tax hike of 3.7 cents or $122.10 a year for homes with an average assessment, may continue to contribute to the lack of enrollment in the future, according Del Rossi.
The board was scheduled to approve the tentative budget on March 4.
The public hearing and adoption of the 2013–2014 budget are slated for the March 25 board of education meeting at 7:30 p.m. at Memorial Middle School located at 55 Mill St.
