S.B. could face 6¢ increase in school taxes
Budget to go before voters on April 15
BY CHRIS MURINO Staff Writer
A $135,953,172 tentative school budget was presented by the South Brunswick Board of Education at its work session on March 10.

If the budget is adopted as is, there would be a 2.8 percent increase from last year; last year had a 4.3 percent increase. The increases have been going down for the past three years.

According to Business Administrator Anthony Tonzini, the tentative budget would carry a 5.8-cent increase per $100 assessed value. The owner of a home assessed at $200,000 would pay an additional $116.80 per year. He said the 5.8-cent tax increase is the lowest since 1999.

The budget would carry a local tax levy of $94,949,620, which is about $366 more than last year's tentative budget.

Tonzini said there were a few reasons the budget had a lower increase this year.

"We saved $1.1 million in health benefits costs and another $1 million by refinancing our debt," Tonzini said.

Superintendent Gary McCartney wanted people to know that this budget is certainly tentative.

"This doesn't mean the budget is complete," McCartney said. "We will continue to do what is needed to do. Much is to be done with it yet."

"The operative word is tentative," added board President Martin Abschutz.

More than 75 percent of the budget goes toward salaries and benefits, Tonzini said. About 4.5 percent goes to transportation, 6 percent goes to facilities maintenance and utilities, and 7.5 percent goes to debt service.

Tonzini said the budget will not support any new programs, but will help the district buy "new resources, such as textbooks, and technology."

In addition, he said only about four or five new full-time teachers were added for an additional 134 students, which is a projected number.

There will also be some cuts made.

"We are reducing one tech administration position and funding instructional supplies at the same level as 2007-2008," Tonzini said.

The district was finally helped this year by the state, which increased its state aid for the first time in six years. The aid from the state has remained relatively flat during that time.

There was a 20 percent increase in state aid. Total state aid will be $24,485,493.

"State aid went toward keeping the tax increase to a minimum," Tonzini said.

The tentative budget was worked out over the course of three public meetings at the Board of Education offices on Blackhorse Lane.

"The public meetings went well," Tonzini said. "There were questions, comments and feedback from those who attended."

The meetings were held on Feb. 20, March 4 and March 11.

The budget was expected to be adopted last night by the Board of Education. It goes before township voters at the school elections on April 15.