Marlboro school budget checks in at $82 million
BY REBECCA MORTON Staff Writer

MARLBORO - The Marlboro K-8 School District Board of Education has adopted a tentative total budget of $82,882,102 for the 2008-09 school year.

A public hearing on the budget will be held on March 17 at which time the board is expected to adopt the final budget.

Residents will vote on a $61 million tax levy that will be needed to support the new budget when they go to the polls on April 15 during the annual school election.

Business Administrator Cindy Barr- Rague said the overall increase from the 2007-08 budget is about 6.1 percent. The tax impact of the tentative budget would be an increase of three cents per $100 of assessed valuation if voters approve the tax levy inApril.Marlboro's K-8 school tax rate would rise from $2.043 to $2.073 per $100 of assessed valuation.

If the tax rate increases as projected, the owner of a home assessed at $200,000 would pay about $4,146 in K-8 school taxes in 2008-09, up from $4,086 during $2007-08. The owner of a home assessed at $400,000 would pay about $8,292 in K- 8 school taxes in 2008-09, up from $8,172 in 2007-08. The owner of a home assessed at $600,000 would pay about $12,438 in K-8 school taxes in 2008-09, up from $12,258 in 2007-08.

K-8 school taxes are one part of the overall property tax bill, which also includes municipal taxes, Monmouth County taxes, Freehold Regional High School District taxes and other assessments.

The $82.8 million budget includes a general fund of $76.6 million and a debt service fund of $4.8 million.

The public will vote on a $61,465,408 tax levy, up $1.47 million from 2007-08. Residents will not vote on the debt service tax levy which totals $3,996,178 for 2008- 09.

District administrators expect to receive $12.7 million in state aid, an increase of $2.1 million from 2007-08.

The increase in aid helped administrators with the proposed budget. Under legislation signed into law last year there is a 4 percent cap on the increase permitted in the local tax levy. Barr-Rague said that with the increase in state aid the district did not have to rise to the full 4 percent.

According to district officials, the 2008- 09 budget provides for more staff for special education programs, a computer technician, a music teacher and improvements at the district's eight schools. Improvements will include new lockers at the Marlboro Middle School, back-up generators for all of the elementary schools, and refinishing the gym floors at the Asher Holmes School, the Robertsville School and the Marlboro Elementary School.

Speaking at the Feb. 26 meeting when the tentative budget was adopted, board member Murray Hoffman said the improvements are needed to make the schools "much more comfortable and safe for our children."

During the public comment portion of the meeting former board memberWarren Brumel requested that the board reconsider its appropriation for a new band instructor and instead hire a new strings teacher. Brumel noted that at present the district employs six band instructors, but just one strings instructor who must travel between both of Marlboro's middle schools.

Superintendent of Schools David Abbott said he examined the workload of the band teachers and the strings teacher. What he found was that each band teacher's workload was considerably greater than the workload of the strings teacher, even with both middle schools.

During the discussion Abbott said when he looked into the strings program it seemed to be a situation of difficult scheduling. He said he is planning to look for ways to correct those issues. He added that the board will look into adding a new strings teacher for the 2009-10 school year.