Superintendent Robert Fisicaro said the final budget will be introduced during the April 8 board meeting, with a public hearing on May 6 — both at 7 p.m. in the Administration Building.
By KRYSTAL NURSE
The Sun
The Mantua Township School District seeks to raise the tax rate around 1 percent as it sends its preliminary budget off to the county for approval.
Superintendent Robert Fisicaro said the final budget will be introduced during the April 8 board meeting, with a public hearing on May 6 — both at 7 p.m. in the Administration Building.
The new budget, he added, calls for $13,199,012 in taxes for the upcoming school year (the full operating budget was not made known to the public, yet). According to the district, the amount remains the same compared to last year.
Fisicaro also added the district expects to raise the tax rate by 1 percent, however taxpayers can expect to see a $26 decrease, compared to last year’s $13 decrease, based on an average assessed home value of $205,881 in Mantua.
With the district projected to lose around $85,000 in state aid, Fisicaro said the tax increase will help in recovering some of the lost funds.
He went on to add taxpayers will see an overall decrease, despite the increase in the tax rate, because the district will have lower debts, and ratables are up in Mantua.
The board also agreed to goals for the new budget which were to improve school safety and to make sure the buildings are ADA compliant.
In March, the Mantua Township Committee sworn in two school resource officers, who will rotate throughout the school district with SRO Jim Fellon. Fisicaro added the township is paying for one, and the $1.6 million preschool expansion aid grant covers the cost of another.
Fisicaro went on to add Sewell School could be made ADA compliant, which is the building they’re focusing most on, through upgrades via a bond referendum. Due to the district having a low amount of debt, he added they can seek a $6 million to $11 million bond to make changes to the “castle” section of the school and the parking lot.
The district does not foresee any changes to the funding of staff or school programs.
In other news at last week’s board meeting:
Art teacher at J. Mason Tomlin Elementary School Nicole Jordan gave a presentation on the different disabilities students learned about, on their own, and remarked on how mature they behaved during classroom discussions. The posters are on display in the school’s music hall where every student passes through for “recess, gym or music.”
JMT Vice Principal Chantelle Shorter added the district’s director of special services, Stephanie Logan, had a hands-on day for the kids to physically learn what it’s like to have a disability so they know what life is like for either their peers or family members.
“I learned about my students because it was different than how I usually do my art projects. I have to say, we have a really great group of kids here,” said Jordan. “I think it’s something we should do every year because they have ideas and they’re ready.”
Superintendent Robert Fisicaro added the board started a curriculum cabinet this past school year where teachers made suggestions on how to better the district’s classes and learning objectives, a career advisory committee for staff to speak on the operations of the district from within and a special education advisory committee, consisting of teachers and community members, on how to make the district more accommodating for those with special needs and abilities awareness.
After meeting with a vice principal at the middle school, Shorter said students are retaining its character education program when they get to Clearview. She hopes to work with the middle school further to implement a character education program there students from Harrison Township might not have access to.
The next board meeting is scheduled for April 8 at the Dr. H. Simmerman Administration Building in Barnsboro.
