School board adopts budget
for 2002-03 academic year
$56M plan raises tax rate
in Manalapan, lowers
it in Englishtown
By dave benjamin
Staff Writer

ENGLISHTOWN — The Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District Board of Education has adopted a budget for the 2002-03 school year.

Residents of Manalapan and English-town will vote on the spending plan in the April 16 school election. At that time they will also vote for members of the school board from both communities.

A public hearing on the budget was held on March 25.

In the $56,925,644 budget, according to Joseph F. Passiment Jr., business administrator, the general fund (also called current expenses) will be $50,687,354. That is the amount on which residents will vote in the election.

State revenue will amount to $18,741,873. Additional revenue will be forthcoming from local taxation, $33,363,772, and federal aid, $1,434,382.

Appropriations include, but are not limited to, salaries, $33,784,955; insurance, $246,500; plant operations, $6,050,368; curriculum and programs, $3,626,020; debt service, $4,803,908; and capital improve-ments, $587,200.

The budget carries a tax increase for property owners in Manalapan and a tax decrease for property owners in English-town.

According to figures provided by the board, the tax rate for Englishtown will drop from $1.475 to $1.457 per $100 of assessed valuation. That means the owner of a home assessed at $100,000 in Englishtown will pay about $1,457 in local school taxes in 2002-03, down from $1,475 in 2001-02. The owner of a home assessed at $200,000 will pay about $2,914 in local school taxes in 2002-03, down from $2,950 in 2001-02.

Meanwhile, according to the budget, the tax rate for Manalapan will rise from $1.393 to $1.485 per $100 of assessed valuation. That means the owner of a home assessed at $100,000 in Manalapan will pay about $1,485 in local school taxes in 2002-03, up from $1,393 in 2001-02. The owner of a home assessed at $170,000 will pay about $2,524 in local school taxes in 2002-03, up from $2,368 in 2001-02. The owner of a home assessed at $250,000 will pay about $3,712 in local school taxes in 2002-03, up from $3,482 in 2001-02. The owner of a home assessed at $300,000 will pay about $4,455 in local school taxes in 2002-03, up from $4,179 in 2001-02.

Manalapan-Englishtown Regional School District taxes are one portion of a property owner’s tax bill. The tax bill also includes Manalapan municipal taxes, Freehold Regional High School District taxes, Monmouth County taxes, a fire district tax and several other assessments.

If the budget is defeated by voters on April 16, it will be sent to the governing bodies of Manalapan and Englishtown for review. The municipal officials would have the option of recommending reductions in the budget, which the school board could agree to or appeal, or leaving the budget as the board had presented it.