Board came in under the 2% tax cap
At the latest Washington Township Board of Education work session, the board voted to approve their tentative budget and send it to the county.
Despite losing $1.4 million in state aid, the board found a way to make up the cut without raising taxes to the maximum 2 % cap.
“Our goal as a budget committee was to avoid passing the state shortfall on to the taxpayers,” Board president Julie Kozempel said. “For the last three years I’ve been on the board we have come in under cap despite state cuts. We are all very proud of that.”
Kozempel said the directors made cuts in their supply budgets, noting the high school cut $1.7 million dollars alone. She said the district saved $300,000 with a savings improvement plan as well.
“We all have children in township schools and we live here, in part, for the excellent school system,” Kozempel said. “But taxes have been rising and we needed to get that under control. I am proud our full board voted unanimously to pass our tentative budget which came in under the 2% cap.”
Between slashing budgets and the savings plan, the board voted to cut five central positions in central administration.
“Hats off to our business administrator Peg Meehan and our superintendent Joe Bollendorf for their leadership in this respect.”
While the budget hearing isn’t until April, the next board of education meeting is Tuesday, March 26 at 7 p.m. at the Eileen Abbott Central Administration Building.
