Millstone school district proposes $31.8M budget

Residents will be asked to vote on April 15 for a $25.5 million tax levy to support the Millstone Township School District.

During the Board of Education election, Millstone voters will decide the fate of the budget and a second question for $225,000 worth of building maintenance for the school district.

The proposed 2008-09 budget includes total expenditures of $31.8 million, which is a 3.3 percent increase over last year's budget. Ninety percent of the budget is for fixed or contractual costs such as tuition, salaries, benefits and energy. Salaries cost $13.3 million. Tuition costs for Allentown High School and other special-needs schools costs $10.3 million. Benefits cost about $4 million. Plant operation costs $1.5 million. Transportation costs $1.3 million. Purchased services amount to $673,528. Supplies cost $506,496 and capital outlay costs $56,687.

The $25.5 million tax levy is the primary source of financing for the budget. The school district's portion of the tax rate would increase 1.8 cents to $2.01 per $100 of assessed value. A house assessed at the township's average of $399,924 would pay $8,030 in taxes toward the schools, which is a $70 increase over last year, if the budget passes.

The district is also getting state aid in the amount of about $5.5 million. Interest, fees andmiscellaneous revenue sourceswill bring in an additional $845,000 for the budget.

TheMillstone Township School District has the lowest comparative per pupil cost in Monmouth and Ocean counties, according to the March 2007 state school report card. The state average is $12,150 andMillstone's is $8,842. The school district's comparative total classroom instruction costs amount to $5,278, which is also the lowest in the two counties. The state's average in this regard is $7,162.

The proposed budget includes fixed tuition increases of $666,619,which is 6.9 percent more than what the district paid for tuition last year. The budget also includes contracted salary increases of $510,041 and benefit increases of $169,223. Energy costs have gone up 9 percent to $71,785. These increases alone total over $1.4 million.

Due to the state's 4 percent tax levy cap, the school district could only increase last year's budget by $774,545 with a tax levy of $562,063 and revenue of $212,482.

The $643,123 worth of increased costs for tuition, salaries, benefits and energy resulted in the district having to make cuts elsewhere. The district cut a first grade class, a part-time remedial reading position, a proposed World Language pilot and textbook program, a district-wide library software program, library supplies, 20 replacement computers, music, art, physical education and curriculumsupplies and new equipment requests for bleachers, classroom tables and folding chairs. The budget does not include a full-day kindergarten class either. Voters rejected the class in the last election.

The proposed budget would fund a primary school social worker/guidance counselor, a half-time language arts content specialist, an integrated preschool program and a pilot science program.

Under the provisions of the proposed budget, students will continue to pay to participate in sports and extracurricular activities.

The second question on the ballotwould fund $30,000 for a fire alarm panel at the primary school, $45,000 for three unit ventilators at the primary school, $24,000 for carpeting in the library, music and band room at the primary school, $16,000 for an air-conditioning replacement unit in the elementary school library, $10,000 for window replacement in the 87 wing of the elementary school, $32,000 to refurbish student and faculty bathrooms in the 57 wing of the elementary school, $25,000 to install an air conditioning unit in the elementary school gym, $28,000 for a dishwasher in the elementary school and $15,000 for asphalt around the transportation garage.