Marlton residents’ taxes will increase by $50 on the average assessed home of $271,200, if the township’s board of education passes the school district’s budget as it was presented last week.
“What we’re asking for is about $37,” superintendent of schools John Scavelli said. “The other $13 comes from the loss of ratables.”
This year’s tax increase is $30 less from last year’s levy increase of $80 per average assessed home.
State aid came in at about $13.5 million. The net difference from state aid last year to this year was $2,188 with the biggest losses in transportation and equalization aid.
The preliminary budget appropriation for the year is $68.8 million.
Goals of the board include maintaining all staff positions, focusing on student achievement, increasing technology, enhancing staff professional development, continuing with the “green” initiative, including expanding solar panels to all district schools, and balancing the needs in respect to taxes.
According to Scavelli, the combined total of all salaries and benefits is equivalent to 82.5 percent of the total anticipated general fund budget.
The club and activities fee was discussed as a result of the tentative budget presentation.
If clubs and activities were to continue without a fee, the board would have to account for an addition $200,000, or an added $5 to the levy per average assessed home.
As a result, the board decided to reinstate club and activity fees.
After consideration, the district did not choose to fully contract a bus service as part of the initiative to replace old buses, discussed at the Feb. 28 Evesham Township Board of Education meeting.
In December, the board was given approval to seek bids to begin the process.
On Feb. 13, First Student, Hillman Bus Company and Trans-Ed placed bids for 149 routes outlined in the bid specifications, while Eagle-Wolfington planned to bid on buses that would no longer be used.
According to business administrator Dennis Nettleton, if the district decided to contract buses, there would be a net increase in the budget of 5.23 percent in the first year.
As a result, if the district sold the buses, it would receive $254,000 one time. In the second year, costs would begin at $585,000 plus contractor fees.
According Nettleton, the newly proposed budget will save the district $191,000 in 2012–2013.
According to Nettleton, the reason contracting didn’t save the district money was due to the cost of the seniority of the bus drivers. The drivers last hired would have been the first to go, which are usually low-wage earners with no health benefits, which would make minimal impact on the budget.
The district worked in conjunction with the bus drivers to come up with recommended budget changes.
In addition, it used transportation software purchased last year to merge routes.
“There was more potential for consolidation and contracting 16 less routes and use less contracting if it allows,” Nettleton said. “Consolidating them onto existing routes was developed in collaboration with bus drivers.”
The children will be moved onto existing buses. New bus drivers will not be hired as a result.
“What’s so important about this was that I was able to get this done by collaborating with the bus drivers,” Nettleton said. “I’m really proud of the way we worked together.”
In other news, recognition was given to the Evesham Education Foundation for the Wine, Dine and Win event, held Feb. 1.
Additionally, Marlton Middle School boys and girls basketball teams, both successful this season, were recognized for winning first place in the Burlington County Middle School League.
Musicians from Marlton Middle School, Alexis Hartman and Kevin Bookwalter, were recognized for being accepted as violinists in the All-South Jersey Junior High Select Orchestra.
