The Mt. Laurel Board of Education adopted the district’s 2016–2017 school year budget at its April 26 meeting.
Mt. Laurel residents with homes assessed at the average value of $237,600 will see a $54.65 increase for their local K-8 school taxes next year.
The rise in rates will bring the total local K-8 school taxes to $2,525.69 for the average assessed home.
In addition to all the district’s day-to-day operations included in the budget, Superintendent George Rafferty also highlighted several other noteworthy items. One upgrade in the budget is an update to the district’s Math Investigations program for grades two to five. Although the program has not been updated in several years, its third generation was recently released and with that the district decided it was time to upgrade. Upgrades to other grade levels are planned for future budgets.
Another item in the budget are the materials needed for the Next Generation Science Standards for grades six to eight. Multiple states, including New Jersey, have adopted new science standards that go into effect in September.
Money has also been budgeted for the district to upgrade reading comprehension assessments, Science Technology Engineering Math materials and materials for the district’s Journey’s literacy program.
“We’re going to be continuing a lot of initiatives that have been started and moving forward that can be completed and implemented in our schools,” Rafferty said.
The budget also includes certain technology upgrades, including the purchase of additional Chromebook laptops for students and the continued installation of projectors in classroom ceilings.
For teachers who did not have their computers upgraded with the district’s last budget, this budget will see that those teachers get computer upgrades as well.
With the 2016–2017 school year budget, the BOE also saw an increase in state aid money of about $90,000, bringing the total money received in state aid to $4.4 million.
However, as school business administrator Robert Wachter Jr. noted, the $4.4 million figure was still below the $5.8 million the district received in state aid in the 2009–2010 school year before cuts took place throughout the state the following year.
“We’re about $1.3 million less than what we were in 2009–2010, yet we’re still able to maintain everything that we have and move forward,” Wachter said.
Wachter also outlined multiple capital improvements included in the budget, a roof replacement project at Hartford School, a drainage project for the front of Springville School, painting at Larchmont, Hartford, Springville, Hillside and Parkway schools, carpet to tile work at Springville and closet and casework at Parkway.
“As George stated, we’re still continuing with our curriculum and a lot of our investments in technology, but this budget is also supporting some major capital improvements, and we’re excited about that,” Wachter said.
