Budget, Board Candidates on Wednesday Ballot

Voters will decide the fate of this year’s $110 million school budget during the annual school elections this Wednesday.

  The budget itself is a $3,478,817 increase over last year’s $107,200,883 budget, which amounts to an about 3 percent increase. However, the tax levy increases by $1,536,889 —about 2 percent, which is the state cap on tax levies—over the $76,676,057 generated last year.

Of the $78,212,946 from local taxes, $77,401,727 will come from Hillsborough taxpayers, while Millstone Borough taxpayers will contribute $811,219, a total increase of $15,906 for Millstone taxpayers. 

The Millstone portion of the tax levy is determined by an equalized value of the property tax and by student enrollment, according to the funding formula set by former Somerset County Superintendent Trudy Doyle.  The formula was determined after the 2009 consolidation of the state’s non-operating school districts into the districts those students attended.

County-mandated revaluations should have the tax rate decrease from $2 per $100 of assessed value to $1.45 per $100 of assessed value; however, residents could see tax bills increase, decrease or remain constant.

Under the concessions, Hillsborough Education Association members would contribute 1.5 percent of their salaries toward healthcare premiums from April 1 to June 30 of this year, then would pay 12 percent toward healthcare premiums in 2011-2012.  During 2012-2013, members would pay 18 percent toward healthcare costs.

During the 2011-2012 school year, HEA members would see an average salary increase of 1.5 percent and, in 2012-2013, would see a 2 percent average increase.

  The privatization would be avoided if the budget passes.

However, the option could be on the table if voters reject the budget.

:

• State-mandated curriculum updates, including math and science
• $780,000 for new textbooks, trade books and learning supplies that are given to students in science, math and literacy
• technology changes, including replacing older computers with less expensive and more portable net books
• Purchasing 300 fully interactive overhead projectors for all schools.  The projectors are valued at $3,000 each and allow teachers and students to interact with the displays.  Several schools have the interactive projectors already, as a result of fundraisers by the individual schools’ Home and School Association.  The availability in each school varies, with some having several interactive projectors and others have a single projector for the entire school.

Voters will also have the opportunity to vote three residents to three-year terms on the Board of Education.  The candidates are:

Polls will be open from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. on April 27.

Patch will list polling locations Wednesday morning and provide updates throughout the day.