Tax Rate Rises, School Gets New 8th-Grade Team

The 's newly adopted 2012-2013 budget includes funding for additional eighth-grade teachers and repairs to the high school roof. And with those improvements, comes a tax rate increase.

The estimated tax rate under the proposed budget is $1.41 per $100 of assessed home value, up from the $1.36 per $100 in the 2011-2012 budget.

The current average for a home in town is $303,200, down from last year's $319,000—so the average home school tax payment is going down slightly year-to-year. However, residents whose property tax assessments stayed the same can expect to see increases as outlined in the chart below:

Those amounts do not include municipal or county taxes, which are set separately.

Non-competitive field trips still have not been restored after they were cut from the budget two years ago.

The board adopted its budget at its meeting on Monday night—and unlike previous school budgets, it won't go to the public for approval. Using an option set out under a bill signed by Gov. Chris Christine in January, the board chose to move its own elections to November, and approve the budget without having the public vote. The option is only available when districts plan to grow their tax levies—the total amount of tax money collected throughout the district—by less than 2 percent year after year.

In Jefferson's case, the tax levy will grow 1.91 percent. The board is "banking" another $1,258,613—meaning it can add that amount to the tax levy in a future year, and let that year's levy grow more than 2 percent, without running afoul of state law restricting the size of levy increases.

There was no tax levy increase for the 2011-2012 budget from 2010-11, when the tax levy was $35,716,268.

Included in this budget is a surplus figure of $1,376,382, part of which comes from the extra $513,000 the district received in additional state aid last July.

The district was given the option to .

The budget includes a state aid increase of $652,147 to $15,757,785, and anticipated extraordinary aid of $200,000.

The budget of $35,716,268 for 2011-2012 was approved by voters; however, the $36,016,268 for 2010-2011 did not receive voter approval, and the township council cut $300,000 from that figure.

The 2012-2013 budget allocates money for the following new staff members:

• $233,575 for five middle school teachers to restore a third academic team for the eighth grade based on enrollment;
• $46,715 for a behavioral disabilities class at Briggs based on state mandate;
• $37,000 for job coaches for the high school transition program based on state mandate;
• $46,715 for in-class support at the high school based on state mandate; and
• $25,000 for a basic skills teacher at Briggs, a part-time to full-time position.

"We have a very large seventh -rade class that has three teams now and needs to continue that three-team system in eighth grade," said superintendent Dr. Kathaleen Fuchs in her . "This budget allows us to add in the teachers needed to make that possible."

Program needs that are addressed include:

• New math materials for grades 3 through 5, art and technology materials and, new high school courses;
• The restoration of a third team for the eighth grade;
• The addition of Advanced Placement French, Spanish, Physics and Studio Art and a Teen PEP program with existing staffing.

New technology addressed in the budget includes:

• 15,000 for 75 laser printers for the district;
• $84,375 for 225 refurbished Dell Optiplex computers;
• $6,500 for 10 LCD projectors;
• $7,000 for 35 ipads and 7 ipad charging stations;
• $6,000 for core network switch replacement;
• $31,700 for 30 laptops and mobile carts at the high school;
• $30,000 for 15 interactive white boards at the high school;
• $30,000 for 15 interactive white boards at the middle school; 
• $18,750 for 5 interactive white boards at Stanlick;
• $5,800 for 12 Netbook computers and carts at Stanlick; and
• $18,750 for 5 interactive white boards at Briggs 

"We are happy to be able to obtain refurbished computers for the district, so that we will be able to get rid of some of the computers that we've had problems with, and get better working machines without paying for brand new ones," Fuchs said. 

The district will obtain this equipment under a lease/purchase agreement which would cost about $79,476 per year. According to Fuchs, the district has used this method often in the past to obtain equipment.

The budget also addressed facilities:

• $462,000 for roof repairs at the high school; and
• $75,000 to upgrade the fire alarm systems at Cozy Lake, White Rock and Milton schools.

"We have several places on the roof of the high school where water ponds," Fuchs said. "While I'm not a roof expert, I know that's not supposed to happen. We will be able to fix it this year."

Finally, the budget includes the replacement of a 4-wheel drive pick-up truck with a lift gate and plow for $37,000 and two floor scrubbers/floor prep machines at $4,169. The truck would be obtained under a lease purchase agreement costing $9,920 per year for three years.

Non-competitive field trips have not been restored to this budget after being taken out two years ago when the district saw a cut of $2,600,000.

Other items that were discussed this year but not included in the final budget:

• $60,000 to refurbish 300 high school lockers;
• $65,000 to replace house lights in high school auditorium; and
• $90,000 to refurbish gym lockers in the middle school.

Courtesy busing will remain in place under the 2012-2013 budget, and no “pay to play” for athletics or activities has been instituted.