The Moorestown Board of Education unanimously approved its 2012–2013 budget with a zero percent tax levy increase.
Board members approved the $59.13 million budget unanimously early last week.
The district will receive nearly $3 million in state aid for 2012–13, an increase of more than $254,000 atop of last year’s budget.
Three full-time positions will be cut next year, board president Don Mishler said, but not because of the need to save on funding.
Mishler said the positions were cut because the district’s student population is dropping and the positions weren’t a necessity anymore.
Because of the increase in aid, the district will not be including any pay to participate fees in the budget for the coming year.
The overall expenditures for 2012–13 are down about $840,000 from 2011–12, according to district representatives at a budget presentation held recently.
The largest upcoming expenditure is again employee salaries, which top the budget at $37.4 million.
The tax levy for 2012–13 is up by about .3 percent from 2011–12, totaling $53.6 million, an increase of a little more than $165,000 from last year’s total.
However, the district’s debt service for next year is being reduced by about $165,000.
Mishler praised the budget and said the district is in a good financial position for the next year.
“We’ve reached the plateau that we thought we would reach a few years ago, but then the governor took a fair amount of money from us. We will continue to offer the same level of service without increasing taxes,” he said. “We can’t do this forever, but the growth over the next few years in our budget is likely to be in control.”
Because the board and township council decided to move the district elections to the November general election, the public does not have the opportunity to vote on the budget, because it falls within the 2 percent school tax increase cap imposed by the state.
To view the budget in its entirety, visit the district website at www.mtps.com.
