At the Haddonfield Public Schools Board of Education special meeting last week, superintendent Dr. Richard Perry, business administrator John C. Oberg and assistant business administrator Joy Nixon gave a presentation on the proposed 2016–2017 budget to the board. The proposed budget general fund total is $36.1 million with the average home assessed at $488,481 paying an increase of $185.69 per year in taxes.
The March 10 meeting was the first time the 2016–2017 budget was presented to the public and the full board. For 2016–2017, general fund expenditures proposed are around $36.1 million.
The total tax levy for the general fund is $33.8 million and a 2.45 percent increase over 2015–2016. The 2.45 percent is with the use of a 2 percent tax levy; an allowed adjustment to go over the 2 percent cap for enrollment and health-care costs; and a reduction from the Debt Service Fund.
Adjustments to the 2 percent tax levy cap allowed by the state to go over the 2 percent include enrollment, health care, pensions and debt service. According to BOE president Glenn Moramarco, HPS has never used this allowed adjustment to go over the 2 percent cap. Due to the increase in health-care costs and the predicted increased enrollment at HPS, it was recommended to use the allowed adjustment for enrollment and waiver for health benefits.
The potential tax impact for the average home assessed at $488,481 would results in an increase of $185.69 per year, totaling $7,750.47.
An increase of 15.48 percent is predicted for total health benefits cost.
HPS received $1.31 million in state aid, which is an increase of $33,950. The increase is due to the addition of more students coming in the 2016–2017 year.
A significant decrease from the revenues in the budget was in tuition revenue with a loss of $98,000. This is due to tuition students graduating as well as not having the space to include more tuition students at the schools.
Additions to the budget include a part-time maintenance engineer and a new special education program. The new staff hire is for preventative maintenance of the school’s facilities. The new program will be a savings of $95,000 because of consolidation of services. It is a one-year pilot program.
No other additions or cuts to staff or programs were made in this budget.
The newly passed bond referendum numbers are not included in the 2016–2017 budget. The bonds would not be sold until July 2016. Because of that, the first payment would not be due until the following year, which will be included in the 2017–2018 budget, according to Nixon.
Members of the board gave their thoughts on the 2.45 percent increase. Moramarco and board members Joshua Drew and Heather Paoli, think the adjustments allowed should be taken advantage of if needed. Moramarco, reading comments for board member Carlton Chin who was not in attendance, felt he doesn’t want to give the public, who supported the bond referendum, a high tax rate increase and feels the 2.45 percent should be lowered.
According to Perry, the original budget had an increase of 6 percent, which was whittled down to the 2.45 percent. Drew said that there are some numbers still being looked at, which could bring the 2.45 percent down as well.
It is planned that the BOE will approve the proposed budget at the March 17 BOE meeting for the March 22 submission deadline. That meeting will be at the Haddonfield Memorial High School library beginning at 7 p.m.
The initial submission for the budget is March 22. A public hearing will be held between April 25 and May 9. Changes can be made between the initial submission of the budget and the public hearing.
