The Gloucester Township Board of Education recently met to consider the township’s tentative education budget for the 2019-2020 school year. However, the proposed budget was tabled until a later date so that the board can go over the items and numbers in more detail.
The board was concerned about the potential of staff members in the district moving on from their positions or retiring and possibly freeing up some capital.
“With a district the size of ours, typically anyone can submit their retirement letter between now and Aug. 31. There would potentially be money available to revisit other positions,” said Superintendent John Bilodeau.
MaryJo Dintino, BOE president, gave her explanation as to why she thought the budget needs to be revisited.
“There were positions that I personally felt are needed for the best interest of the district, its staff and its students that were not included in the proposed budget,” she said.
The BOE has not determined a later date to approve the budget, but it must be adopted by Tuesday, May 14, or the county will make the decisions.
With total appropriations set at $118 million, the proposed budget features an increase in the local school tax rate from $1.147 per every $100 of assessed property value to 1.159 per every $100 of assessed property value.
Based on the information presented at the meeting, Gloucester Township homeowners with an average home assessed of $188,000 would see a proposed school tax increase of $22 per year.
With the board going back to look at the numbers, they are aware that the budget could potentially cause the tax increase to rise between an additional $2 to $3 annually.
Capital projects were also considered at the meeting, particularly the roofing of the Union Valley Elementary School and Gloucester Township Elementary School.
The board is still trying to allocate funds from the capital reserve to be used on the roofs of the schools. The total for both roof repairs would be $3.4 million from the reserve.
Board member MaryAnn Johnson responded to the frustration of not only the residents, but also her fellow board members.
“For the past year, we have sat here and gone along with the roof problems,” Johnson said. “There is not one person who is sitting on this board who was here when those buildings were built. Not one of us knows anything about warranties because we weren’t there. We all live in Gloucester Township, we are all upset that we had shoddy work done.”
Johnson was aware and wanted to make other individuals aware that the task does fall on the board to make sure that something like this does not happen again.
“I’m just sick and tired of being blamed for something we didn’t do,” she said. “I’m just as upset that we have to do this as you are. We are trying to fix it.”
Since fiscal year 2016, the BOE has completed several projects totaling $8.3 million, including fixing the Ann Mullen Middle School roof, which cost $4.8 million.
