Finalized budget to be approved at next Board of Education meeting
At a special public meeting on March 14, the Haddonfield School District presented its preliminary budget for the 2019–2020 school year, which will be submitted to Camden County for approval.
Based on a local tax levy increase of 2 percent for the upcoming school year, the district gained $36,737,325 in general funds as well as $2,978,679 to be used in debt service. The total amount included in the district’s budget is expected to be $41,871,512, of which $39,716,004 resulted from the increase in taxes plus the amount in the debt service fund.
That means, at an average estimated home value in the borough of $495,780.56 and with that 2 percent increase from last year’s 1.695 percent, residents should expect to pay an additional $99.15 in taxes next year.
The School District’s finalized budget for the upcoming school year will be further discussed at the Board of Education’s regularly-scheduled monthly meeting on March 28. Per BOE Business Administrator Stephen Burns, the board will officially reveal information related to the budget at a public hearing in May.
This temporary budget is set to include a health-care adjustment cost in the amount of $227,061 to offset the increases in health-benefit costs. It also includes the use of banked cap in the amount of $351,135. The banked cap is needed to improve curriculum, increase staffing, and improve services for the students. These costs must be completed by the end of the budget year and cannot be deferred or incrementally completed over a longer period of time.
The budget also includes the use of capital reserve funds in the amount of $1,970,628. These reserve funds will be used to fund capital maintenance projects, including a playground replacement and for additional expenses, which also provides for the use of maintenance reserve funds in the amount of $150,000. The maintenance reserve funds will be used to complete necessary required maintenance that are required to keep a building and its component systems fully functional throughout their design lives.
In addition, the board established a maximum of $40,000 in that general fund budget for travel and travel related expenditures.
Also included in the breakdown on funds included in the budget, was that the district received an estimated 11 percent increase in state funds, an amount of $176,752, which increased the total amount of state aid for 2019–20 to $1,685,524. Funds used toward general administration are set to decrease by an estimated 11.7 percent, from $1,347,419 to $1,189,555, due to consolidation and elimination of certain jobs within the district.
Burns, who presented the breakdown of the preliminary budget at the meeting, submitted his resignation, effective May 10, which the board accepted to its great regret.
“I’m saddened by Steve’s loss. I’m totally taken aback and I will miss him. He did a great job,” said Superintendent Larry Mussoline.
The full presentation on the preliminary budget can be found on the school district’s website at: https://boe.haddonfieldschools.org/budget-information/.
In other news:
- Commendations were handed out to Prudential President’s Volunteer Service Award winner Rania Kolluri, and Prudential President’s Volunteer Service Award winner Sam Tichansky. In addition, the HMHS Academic Challenge Team was lauded for winning the Colonial Conference championship in late February: Mo Jishi, Sam Tichansky, Yaodong Yu, Riley Powers, Teo Lupinetti, Jake Armstrong, Julian George, Molly Parks, John Mangelli, David Little and Jack O’Donnell.
- The board voted to approve a new gifted and talented program for the district in grades K-8 for the 2019–20 school year.
