Twp. Schools Drop Budget 1% For '12-'13

Now in its second year, Governor Chris Christie’s state-mandated 2-percent tax levy cap has been the concrete ceiling and face when creating a budget.

But for the district, that ceiling was somewhere in the stratosphere, imposing no problems to the budget process.

The proposed tax levy for the district’s 2012-13 budget is actually less than it was in 2011-12–an entire percentage point less–thanks to increased state aid and a surprising extra boost from the governor back in July of 2011.

Next year’s tax levy–being submitted to the county for review on Friday, March 5–is $30,409,527, according to the board’s finance committee chairperson Chance Healy. That’s a decrease of $296,455 from last year’s budget of $30,705,982.

The tax levy is also lower than it was two years ago, when the amount was $30,487,832.

With that decrease comes no personnel or program cuts, Healy said.

“When we began the budget process this year, at the most, we wanted a flat levy,” Healy said. “So when we heard about the increase in aid last week, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to give back to the taxpayers.”

A program will be extended within the sixth grade at Long Valley Middle School, according to superintendent Jeff Mohre. The world languages program, now offered as a 'quint'–36 days of instruction–will be extended to 60 days.

Under the new budget, an additional world languages teacher will be brought in to the district, Mohre said.

The district received a total of $7,997,562, in state aid for 2012-13, a 5.6-percent increase over last year’s original $7,166,698. The district also received an , which brought its total aid up to $7,576,263.

The board decided in July, however, to save all of the $409,565 for the 2012-13 school year budget, which made an impact during creating the new expenditure amount.

Once the county approves the budget, the board will introduce it for a vote at its next meeting on Tuesday, March 13. A public hearing will be presented on Tuesday, March 27 at the Long Valley Middle School.

Tax rate and impact on residents will not be available until after the county’s review, Healy said.

“We’re keenly aware of the economic realities,” Healy said. “And we understand the sensitivities of removing the budget vote. But we hold ourselves to a high standard and worked hard to create this budget.”

Buses on the move

An endeavor still in the works between the district and the township–but one making great progress–is the building of a bus maintenance facility at the on Rock Road.

School facilities manager Burt Horner, transportation director Paul Henry, and DPW Superintendent Scott Frech have all been working closely to iron out details, Healy said. While there is no deadline for the project’s blueprint to be brought to fruition, discussions have moved along, and the board is ready, Healy said.

The total cost to construct the facility would run $750,000, Healy said, which would save the district approximately $115,000 a year. The initial investment would be returned within six years, Healy said.

Current bus maintenance is outsourced and the vehicles are kept at the

Other cost-saving moves, Mohre said, include keeping payroll processes in-house, and the refinancing of debt last year.