Millville Board of Education Passes Budget

PREVIOUS YEAR NEW YEAR

TOTAL BUDGET $99,474,746 $96,747,208

TAX RATE 66.5-cents 68.5-cents

AMT RAISED BY TAXES $8,803,739 $9,792,246

SURPLUS FUNDS none none

REMAINING SURPLUS* <2-percent> <2-percent>

TAX FOR HOME ASSESSED AT $125,000 $831.25/yr $856.25/yr

TOTAL CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION $45,592,171 $48,821,778

TOTAL ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS $36,507,690 $34,839,682

The proposed 2008-09 budget of $96.7 million shaves more than $2.5 million from the current budget. Despite the cuts, the budget includes a 2-cent tax increase, class-size increases and the delay of eventual technological upgrades.

State funding - Millville received roughly $1.3 million in additional state aid - was sighted as the primary reason for Millville's budget woes

There was some good news as Bryce Kell, the district's business administrator, reported that Millville's request for a tax waiver was approved by the state.

The waiver, which allows Millville to propose a tax increase of more than 4 percent, was necessary to keep the number of employees needed to be let go to 40. Officials said that number would likely have been higher had the tax waiver not been approved.

Superintendent Shelly Schneider said during Tuesday night's public hearing on the budget.

"You will not see any growth to programs," she said. "In fact, due to fixed costs, cost of living, increased pension contributions and increases in salaries, we needed to make serious cuts. In fact, there will be a need for tax increases, tuition increases, larger class sizes and cuts in programs and positions."

The budget calls for the elimination of 40 positions and a 2-cent tax rate hike, the first school tax rate increase in six years, said Bryce Kell, business administrator.

Money originally slated for school-sponsored activities, health services, and general and school administration services will be slashed under the proposed, according to the list of proposed appropriations for next school year.

"School-sponsored activities" refers to Gifted and Talented after-school programs and will decrease from $20,000 to nothing on the proposed budget, Kell said.