Average homeowner will pay about $92 more under plan
The Cinnaminson Township Board of Education unanimously approved a preliminary budget with a 2 percent tax increase at its March 27 meeting.
Residents with an average assessed home of $232,338 will pay $91.62 more in school taxes under the plan, school officials said. In all, the preliminary budget is nearly $51 million and represents about a 1 percent decrease from the current year’s budget.
Thomas Egan Jr., the district’s board secretary and businesses administrator, and Superintendent Stephen Cappello presented the preliminary budget.
“One of the things we’re most excited about is to present a responsible budget to the public that maintains our high level of instruction and our commitment to excellence without being overly burdensome on the taxpayers,” Cappello said.
The preliminary budget will now go to the Burlington County Superintendent of Schools Office for approval. A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for Tuesday, April 24, at 7:30 p.m. in Room 120 at the Cinnaminson Middle School.
School officials said the preliminary budget would maintain all existing programs and activities. The plan also calls for the introduction of an engineering and design program at Cinnaminson High School and a new behavior disability program for students in third, fourth and fifth grades at Eleanor Rush Intermediate School.
Cappello said it was challenging for the administration to design a budget while staying within New Jersey’s 2 percent tax increase cap.
“We’re very happy to be able to do that while maintaining a fiscally responsible budget to the public,” he said. “We’re doing so within the restraints of the 2 percent cap, so there are no waivers.”
Egan said the district is expecting a $226,771 increase in state aid to the general fund portion of the budget. Burlington County schools are slated to receive more than $9 million more in state aid thanks to Gov. Murphy’s proposed budget.
However, Egan said the revenue from state and federal sources is still only a projection. The board should know more about the actual numbers in the summer, he added.
Utility costs are expected to decrease by $138,000 next year, according to notes published by the board. Administrators are also expecting an 11.9 percent decrease in tuition costs for students attending schools outside the district.
The preliminary budget anticipates a 2 percent increase in spending on health benefits and an 8 percent increase for general liability and property, workers’ compensation insurance and legal liability for the school board.
In addition, Egan said the budget includes funds for four new buses, which will replace vehicles that are aging out of the 15-year projected lifespan.
No residents spoke about the budget during the public comment portion of the March 27 meeting.
In other news, Cappello said Friday, April 6, will serve as a makeup day due to the recent snow day.
