NJ School Report Card: Hillsborough Under State Averages for Student Expenditures

Despite reductions in its budget and reductions in state aid over the past few years, the Hillsborough Township School district remains under the state average for cost-per-pupil expenses, according to data from the New Jersey State Report Card.

However, the district did see per-pupil costs rise from costs seen during the 2008-2009 school year in almost all areas, according to the report card data.

Most recent date shows Hillsborough spending about $13,731 per student in 2009-2010, where as stage averages placed spending at $15,538 in that year.

During the 2008-2009 school year, however, the district again remained below state averages for per-pupil costs.  In 2008-2009, per-pupil costs came in at $12,688, whereas the state averages were $15,221 spent on each student.

For most expenditures in 2009-2010, including plant maintenance, textbooks and supplies, purchased classroom services and others, the district ran below state averages.  In some cases, like purchased services in the classroom, which cost the district only $7 per pupil, ran well below the state average of $193 per pupil. Likewise, the district’s food service costs ran below the state average, coming in at no cost per pupil to the state average of $14 per pupil.

Other areas coming in below state averages include plant maintenance salaries and benefits, at $642 in Hillsborough to $895 in the state and other plant operations and maintenance, at $512 in Hillsborough and $836 in the state.

Some items, however, came in above state averages, including other costs related to support services, at $281 to the state’s $252, and classroom salaries and benefits, at $7.650 in Hillsborough to $7,645 at the state average.

In addition, the district saw an increase in staff salaries and benefits from the 2008-2009 school year to the 2009-2010 school year, where costs rose from $7,011 to $7,650.

During both school years, most of the district’s revenue came from local taxes rather than state or federal aid.  According to the report card data, local taxes accounted for 70 percent of district revenue in 2009-2010, up 1 percent from 2008-2009.

State averages for both school year show around 50 percent of revenues coming from local taxes, according to the data. In both years, state, federal and “other” aid remained flat and accounted for 25 percent, two percent and three percent of a district’s revenue, respectively.

Other areas where Hillsborough exceeded state averages in 2009-2010 include number of administrators, where Hillsborough has 35 and the state average is 28, and median salaries for administrators and for teachers.  The state’s median salaries for administrators and teachers are at $117,895 and $61,840.  In Hillsborough the median salaries are $118, 906 and $66, 220, according to the report card data.