Marlboro board introduces $78.5M budget for '07-08
Tentative spending plan calls for 2.9-cent hike in K-8 tax rate
BY TALI ISRAELI
Staff Writer

MARLBORO - The Board of Education has introduced a $78.5 million budget for the 2007-08 school year that will raise K-8 property taxes by 2.9 cents per $100 of assessed valuation if voters approve the budget in the April 17 school election.

The tax rate to support the operation of the school district will rise from $2.013 to $2.042 per $100 of assessed valuation, according to information provided by Business Administrator Cindy Barr-Rague.

That means the owner of a home assessed at $200,000 will see his K-8 school tax bill rise from $4,028 to $4,086 in 2007-08. The owner of a home assessed at $300,000 will see his K-8 school tax bill rise from $6,042 to $6,129 in the upcoming year. The owner of a home assessed at $400,000 will see his K-8 school tax bill rise from $8,056 to $8,172 in 2007-08.

K-8 school taxes are one portion of a homeowner's overall property tax bill. The tax bill also includes municipal taxes, Freehold Regional High School District taxes, Monmouth County taxes and several other assessments.

The school district's budget for 2006-07 amounted to $75.6 million.

According to information provided by Barr-Rague, the 2007-08 general fund will total $72.29 million and the general fund tax levy will be approximately $59.99 million. Residents will vote on the $59.99 million tax levy on April 17.

Residents do not vote on the debt service tax levy, which will be $3.97 million next year to support an overall debt service of $4.77 million.

The total amount of money to be collected from Marlboro taxpayers to support the 2007-08 budget will be $63.97 million if the budget remains as it was presented on Feb. 27 and is approved by voters on April 17.

For the 2006-07 school year the K-8 district received about $10.2 million in state aid; for the 2007-08 school year Marlboro will receive about $10.5 million in state aid.

In 2006-07 there was $187,188 from surplus (savings) applied to the budget. According to Barr-Rague, the district currently has $1.38 million in its surplus account and is using $1.23 million in the 2007-08 budget.

One of the board's last-minute additions to the budget resulted in a split decision by the board members.

Following a discussion of whether to reinstate the 4:15 p.m. bus at the middle schools next year, board members Joe Waldman, Joe Hsia, Raymond Eng and Murray Hoffman were in favor of the addition to the budget.

Board President Terry Spilken and board members Cynthia Green and Andrea Miller believed it was not necessary to reinstate the after-school bus.

Board member Isaac Levy abstained on the matter and board member Joel Golub was not present at the meeting.

The cost to reinstate the 4:15 p.m. bus from the middle schools will be $60,000 in the coming year's budget.

The 3:05 p.m. late bus from the middle schools was removed prior to the 2005-06 school year. The 4:15 p.m. late bus from the middle schools was removed prior to the 2006-07 school year.

Green noted that the number of students participating in after-school activities has increased in the last year when a late bus was not provided.

"In this financial climate it is better not to put back things [in the budget] that we have already removed," Green said.

The issue of whether the district will have money to continue the service in the 2008-09 school year is why Green and Spilken believe it is not a good idea to implement to service for 2007-08.

Green noted that $60,000 is equivalent to a teacher's salary or a set of textbooks for the students, which she said are more necessary than an after-school bus.

Hoffman disagreed and said he does not believe $60,000 is going to cause that much of an impact on the district, especially with the additional money the district is receiving from the state.

"I think it is important enough to keep in [the budget]. I know it is not going to hurt our budget," Hoffman said.

Spilken said although after-school busing is a nice addition to the district, when the service was removed the community adjusted to the change.

"The after-school programs survived and flourished," he said.

Spilken said he knows the district can find the money to reinstate the after-school busing in the 2007-08 budget, but his concern is for the 2008-09 school year.

"It is not what I see as a worthwhile expenditure," he added.

Miller agreed with Spilken's opinion and said the board's focus is on the students, not on transportation. Miller questioned whether even if the district had the extra $60,000, is this the best use of that money. She said there are many things district administrators would like to do but cannot due to financial constraints.

Green agreed and said she would rather use the $60,000 and hire a new teacher, which would reduce class sizes and positively impact the students in an academic area, rather than provide the after-school bus service.

The after-school bus service was reinstated with a 4-3 vote by the board. The members will have another opportunity to vote on the matter when the board adopts the final budget for the 2007-08 school year in late March.