Mt. Laurel residents will see the proposed Lenape Regional High School District tax levy increase of 11.85 cents, or $169.13 per average assessed home of $142,156, come to fruition.
The board of education adopted the 2013–2014 budget during its March 26 meeting.
The adopted budget is $150.4 million, a 1.79 percent increase from the current year.
“This changes every year,” Vice President of the Board David Stow said. “The four basic characteristics that come into the tax, the changes in equalized value, the changes in ratables, the changes in regional enrollment and the assessed value of average homes. If you see a big change in any of those four, it’s probably going to mean something’s going to happen in the share or the amount that the township has to pay.”
According to Stow, each community’s share of the $110.3 million budget is raised in taxes. Marlton and Mt. Laurel carry the burden of the taxation, both towns reflecting high enrollment numbers. Additionally, Mt. Laurel is the only municipality with an increase in equalized valuation, the largest decrease in ratables, the only township with an increase in the average assessed value of homes and the second largest increase in regional enrollment.
Mt. Laurel is responsible for 36.6 percent of the taxation, costing the average homeowner approximately $1,713 per year.
State aid remained unchanged at $28.4 million.
“Our budget is a no programs added, no additional staff added — except for those staff members that are mandated for individual educational program students,” Stow said. “We have 13 students coming in from our sending districts with IEPs and those IEPs require a paraprofessional, a sign language person or special education teacher.”
LRHSD is also responsible for IEP students not attending a school within the district, an $8 million cost.
“There was an increase in out-of-district tuition. When an IEP student comes to us, that IEP gives the student the right to an education outside of our district, and we have to foot the bill,” Stow said. The district stands to pay the bill until the student reaches the age of 22. “It’s out of our hands,” he said.
The district has been met with challenges, as state aid has fluctuated over the years, and now it receives $2.5 million less than the 2009–2010 school year.
The district has an additional $2.9 million to account for with a 2 percent salary increase for all staff, a health benefits increase, a SDA grant repayment increase, a Medford student resource officer and state-mandated evaluation costs.
As a result, the district has cut education programs, behind the wheel driver’s education, the public relations department, a long-range coordinator, the position of assistant superintendent, which has been replaced with a director of programs and planning, and the summer theatre series. In addition, the school can no longer fund field trips.
According to Stow, the district took action to save money and did so through health-care costs by changing providers, which created a savings of $1.8 million.
The next LRHSD meeting will be held on April 17 at 7:30 p.m. at the administration building located at 93 Willow Grove Road. in Shamong.
