There will be a tax increase of 2.25 percent next school year.
The Medford Township School District adopted the 2018–19 budget at last week’s meeting, and overall, the district will see a tax increase of 2.25 percent.
The total tax levy for the 2017–18 budget was $44,745,93, and the 2018–19 total tax levy is $45,751,539, resulting in an increase of $1,005,608.
A homeowner with an average assessed home of $326,300 will see an annual increase of $66.24.
Last school year’s general fund budget totaled $50,943,823, and the 2018–19 school year budget will have a total of $52,155,383, increasing by $1,211,560.
State aid from 2017–18 was $4,969,108, and in 2018–19 is $5,161,803, resulting in a 3.88 percent increase.
There will be one additional full-time teacher to accommodate class size, and one new special education teaching position added, as well as mandated services. as per student individual educational plans. One school resource officer position has been added, along with two site maintenance positions.
The district’s areas of focus are maintenance of buildings, health and safety issues, transportation and instructional technology. The school district will continue with preventive and required maintenance to extend equipment life, deferring capital improvement costs.
Geothermal units will be serviced within the budget, along with replacing classroom unit ventilators, conducting district-wide roof inspections, continuing with the diamond honing process on terrazzo floors, replacing the PA/master clock system at Haines Sixth Grade Center, and addressing issues as identified.
The district plans to stripe the parking lots, perform blacktop and concrete repairs, replace classroom carpeting and playground safety/upkeep. In addition, there will be a district-wide security system upgrade and installation of surveillance cameras, transition of analog radios to digital two-way communication on all buses, and four new buses have been added.
There are plans for wireless upgrades, replacement servers at Medford Memorial Middle School, Kirby’s Mill School and Chairville Elementary School, replacement of unsupported desktops with laptops for instructional staff and completion of the 1:1 Chromebook Initiative program.
The next meeting will be held on May 21 at 7:30 p.m. at Medford Memorial Middle School.
