While Gov. Phil Murphy has announced that schools will remain closed for the remainder of the 2019-2020 school year, local districts are putting final touches on preparations for next school year.
The Voorhees Township Public Schools Board of Education hosted a virtual public hearing regarding its 2020-2021 budget on May 6. According to figures provided during the budget presentation, the district’s total spending for next year will be $58,532,722, a 1.48 percent increase over the previous year.
The tax rate will increase to 1.5, up from 1.473 the previous year. Residents with the average assessed home value of $259,460 can expect an increase of approximately $71 over the course of next year, or approximately $6 per month.
Compared with the 2020 fiscal year, Voorhees schools will receive $293,494 less in state aid for 2021, a decrease of approximately 5.6 percent. The district’s state aid allocation will go from $5,265,788 to $4,972,294.
Included in the budget are three capital projects: This summer, the district anticipates renovating its current HVAC system, constructing a maintenance garage and making exterior soffit and fascia replacements to Voorhees Middle School. All three projects are anticipated to cost approximately $775,000.
According to Business Administrator Helen Haley, the district also plans to replace classroom carpets with hard-surface flooring, something the district has done with cafeterias and gymnasiums.
“We’re doing it in phases,” said Haley during an interview with The Sun last month. “So we’ll address more rooms this summer and over the winters and spring breaks during next year as well. That would be another estimated 45 rooms we do next year out of our capital reserve funds.”
Added to the budget between its introduction on March 18 and adoption on May 6 were two capital projects related to renovations at school buildings in the district, with one being Guidance Suite Alterations at Voorhees Middle School and another improvements to the media center at E.T. Hamilton Elementary School, at a cost of approximately $141,000 and $200,000, respectively.
Superintendent David Gentile spoke during the May 6 meeting about the two projects included in the budget that were not previously voted on by the board. Gentile said improvements to the media center at E.T. Hamilton are due to desired changes to the learning space for students as well as increased safety measures. As for the project at Voorhees Middle School, Gentile said the district anticipates an increased need for student resources when school opens next year.
“In light of and in combination with all of the social emotional needs adolescents are showing more and more these days, combined with that’s going on now with COVID-19 … we are anticipating even more students needing counseling services when they come back to school,” Gentile noted. “Currently, the guidance counselors are located with the vice principals, and that’s usually a place where the kids don’t want to go, since they associate that at times with discipline and being in trouble.
“Kids are reluctant at that age to ask for counseling or therapeutic help as it is, so the thought is that if we can separate away from the discipline, then we can encourage kids to reach out more often so they won’t feel that stigma.”
Gentile said VMS will put all counseling resources in one area to create a more therapeutic-area. After the board approved agenda items, it indicated that a Buildings and Grounds Committee meeting with the board of education regarding the schematics and layout of either plan has yet to be determined.
The Voorhees district’s next board of education meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, June 17, at the administration building. Residents should visit https://www.voorhees.k12.nj.us/voorheestsd to find out how to access the meeting should it need to be held virtually.
