The budget includes additional teachers and aides to staff the district’s new full-day kindergarten program, which is set to launch in September.
The Mt. Laurel Schools Board of Education approved the district’s tentative budget for the 2019–2020 school year at this week’s BOE meeting.
With total appropriations set at $77.4 million, the budget features an increase in the local school tax rate from .011 cents per every $100 of assessed property value to .012 cents per every $100 of assessed property value.
Based on information presented at this week’s meeting, Mt. Laurel homeowners with an average home assessed of $237,600 will see a local K-8 school tax increase of $33.18 per year, or 1.26 percent.
According to district officials, the 2019–2020 budget includes additional teachers and aides to staff the district’s new full-day kindergarten program, which is set to launch in September.
However, officials did note the exact number of staff members the district will be required to hire will ultimately be determined by final enrollment figures regarding the program.
Also included in the tentative budget are appropriations for various items related to curriculum technology and capital improvements.
For curriculum writing, purchases are in the areas of kindergarten, English as a Second Language students and financial literacy.
Also included under curriculum appropriations are kindergarten materials and resources, literacy intervention kits, assessment kits, STEM materials and supplies and more.
For technology, the district is focusing on replacing about 500 student ChromeBooks due to age, projector replacement and installation in new classrooms, remote management and anti-virus software, laptops for kindergarten teachers and more.
Under the budget’s capital projects, the district will purchase additional security cameras and classroom locks, replacement carpet with tile in areas of Hartford Upper Elementary School and Springville Elementary School, as well as replacing existing tile at Springville.
The district will also replace the carpet at the Larchmont Elementary School library, replace the stage curtain at Hartford and undertake painting projects at the Parkway Elementary School Library, as well as at Hartford, Larchmont and Springville.
Officials say the district will also get new scoreboard for the eighth-grade gym at Harrington Middle School, purchase new door security for the Countryside Elementary School cafeteria, undertake cafeteria table placement at Harrington and Hartford and improve main entrance door security at the district’s administration and transportation buildings.
Also in relation to transportation, the district plans to replace six buses with two 54-passenger buses and four 24-passenger busses.
The district will also purchase 10 live GPS bus tracking systems, as well as new camera system units.
The district will also upgrade its bus-routing software.
The district also noted state aid is up in the 2019–2020 budget, from about $4.8 million in 2018–2019 budget to about $5 million in the 2019–2020 budget.
However, as district officials note, those figures are still below the district’s $5.8 million in state aid it once received about 10 years ago before the state reduced its funding to districts.
The BOE plans to hold a public hearing and potential final adoption of the 2019–2020 budget at its next regularly scheduled board meeting on April 30 at 7 p.m. at Hartford School.
Officials say the budget will be discussed in even greater detail at that time.
