The average Evesham resident with a home assessed at $270,500 would see their school tax bill increase by $52.70 if the Evesham Township School District passes its 2015–2016 budget as presented last week.
That number and other budget details were discussed in depth by district Superintendent John Scavelli Jr. at two community meetings on Feb. 9 and 10, during which the district provided the public with information about the 2015–2016 budget before the tentative budget is adopted by the Board of Education in February or March.
In the preliminary budget, general fund appropriations total $71.49 million, which equates to a proposed tax levy increase of 2.69 percent, or 1.95 cents per every $100 of assessed property value.
However, Scavelli said the preliminary tax levy and $52.70 bill increase was about average for this time of year when the district unveils the preliminary budget, and that number would be whittled down between now and when the final budget is adopted sometime May.
“What we’ve typically seen in our budget process is that this number will keep going down every month little by little,” Scavelli said. “Is it going to get all the way down to $30, $35 — probably not. Will it be less than $50? I would say that, yes, it probably will be.”
About 83 percent of the preliminary general fund appropriations can be attributed to staff salaries and benefits, with $44.9 million going toward salaries and another $14.2 million going toward benefits.
Again, Scavelli said those numbers were about average for school districts.
“We’re labor intensive industries,” Scavelli said. “Our staff, and that’s everybody, that’s all the employees, is 83 percent of our budget, and that’s been consistent over the past couple of years…any school district is going to be right around that 83 percent range.”
Scavelli said salaries, employee benefits and retirement fund contributions were also responsible for a majority of the $1.8 million or 2.64 percent increase from the previous year’s general fund appropriation.
On the budget as a whole, Scavelli said it was crafted with several goals, including maintaining or enhancing all instructional programs — core subjects, related arts and specialized programs.
“In essence, we don’t want to lose what we have, and whatever we do have, we want to make it better and we want to expand wherever we can, wherever it makes sense within our financial means and the needs of our students,” Scavelli said.
Other goals outlined by Scavelli included having all initiatives be sustainable, maintaining all staff positions, sustaining current class sizes, focusing on student achievement, expanding Tier III Gifted and Talented Programs, enhancing staff professional development, continued school bus maintenance vehicle replacement and more.
Scavelli also said the district has yet to hear anything about how much aid it will receive from the state.
He said usually that means the district should be prepared to receive a similar amount to the previous year.
If the district receives aid information within 48 hours of Gov. Christie’s state budget address on Feb. 24, as it has in the past, Scavelli said a tentative budget could be approved at the next Board of Education meeting on Feb. 26.
“Typically, we get our numbers the day of the board meeting, and as long as there are no surprises there, we’re able to finalize everything and have the tentative budget on the night of the board meeting,” Scavelli said.
