Thursday, March 21, 2013
And Raritan residents will see a decrease in their taxes.
The Bridgewater-Raritan Board of Education approved its 2013-2014 school budget Thursday with a $32 increase in taxes for Bridgewater residents. The budget is set at $139,515,108, an increase of 2.79 percent over the 2012-2013 budget. The budget itself has a 1.86-percent tax levy increase. For Bridgewater residents with an average home assessment of $394,709, they will see an increase of about $32.19 on their school taxes. Raritan residents, with an average home assessment of $320,005, will see a decrease in their school taxes of $0.20. "Although the proposed budget tax levy is going up 1.86 percent, the impact of the tax rate has other variables, namely rateables of both communities," said business administrator Peter Starrs. In …
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
A public hearing on the budget will be held Thursday.
The board of education is planning a public hearing and possible adoption of a 2013-2014 school budget that includes a 1.86 percent tax levy increase. The budget, as introduced March 5, is set at $139,515,108. As for state aid, although the district will be receiving $9,087,358, the same it received in the previous school year, there is an increase in assessments on the district, eliminating $80,000 from its aid. The total budget itself has increase by 2.79 percent over the previous year because of additional surplus funds to be used. The budget includes several additions, including extra security at the high school and floating teachers. An additional $230,000 is still being used for an extra school resource officer and two more security …
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
The board of education introduced its budget Tuesday.
The board of education introduced its $139 million school budget Tuesday with only one small change since it was last discussed—the elimination of paving at Eisenhower Intermediate. This change was made because of a change in the state aid numbers. Although the district will be receiving $9,087,358, the same it received in the previous school year, there is an increase in assessments on the district, eliminating $80,000 from its aid. This is the School Development Authority Debt Assessment, which reduces the aid the district will receive. According to business administrator Peter Starrs, years ago they received grants from the state for $9 million, and the state is now assigning a share of principal and interest that it had to provide. …
Monday, March 4, 2013
The most recent presentation called for a 1.86 percent increase.
The board of education is preparing to introduce its 2013-2014 school budget Tuesday with a possible 1.86 percent tax levy increase. The most recent budget presentation detailed a $139,509,420 spending plan. Among other additions, the budget includes an extra $230,000 for increased security at the high school, namely a second school resource officer and two additional security personnel members. In addition, the budget includes funds for the replacement of the roof at John F. Kennedy Primary School for $850,000, and the replacement of the high school air conditioning unit in the boiler room for $425,000. The district also is budgeting for seven floater positions, which has been a topic of contention among board members and the public, who …
Thursday, February 28, 2013
The district is getting the same amount of aid as in the 2012-2013 school year.
The Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District will be receiving flat state aid this year, but board of education president Patrick Breslin said he's a bit disappointed by the news. The district will be receiving $9,087,358 for the 2013-2014 school year, a 0 percent increase over the 2012-2013 school year. "I'm disappointed, but I'm at least happy that we're not losing money this year given the position the state's in," Breslin said. "We've been running the budget very close, so we're going to have to be very close with how we move toward a tentative budget." The board is preparing to introduce its budget at Tuesday's meeting at 8 p.m. at John F. Kennedy Primary School. Breslin said the administration was moving forward with its budget …
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
The school district is anticipating no change in its aid this year.
Based on the information provided during Gov. Chris Christie's State of the State Address Tuesday, Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District administrators said Tuesday that they believe aid will remain flat this year. Superintendent of Schools Michael Schilder said Tuesday that the commissioner interpreted the governor's comments as indicating that 378 school districts will get a funding increase. And from there, he said, no school's K-12 formula school aid will see a decrease for the 2014 fiscal year. "But what that exactly means in terms of K-12 formula school aid, we need to wait and hear," he said. "But this is encouraging." Board member Jeffrey Brookner asked whether there is a difference between state aid and K-12 formula state …
Monday, February 25, 2013
Districts across New Jersey await state aid figures this week with uncertainty.
Bridgewater schools face the deadline to submit the 2013-14 budget to the county next week with uncertainty as to whether $85 billion in federal "sequestration" spending cuts will be stopped by Congress before Friday. Districts will learn their state aid figures this week after Gov. Chris Christie delivers his fiscal year 2014 budget address Tuesday afternoon. Superintendent of Schools Michael Schilder said cuts would be an issue for the district, but declined to provide specifics. "Any cuts to an already lean budget are serious," he said. Schilder said they will move forward if state aid is eliminated, but at this point, the district has not received any new information. "We have received no word from the governor's office or the …
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
And some members questioned the need for floater teachers in the budget.
Rumors are circulating that the state aid for school districts could be good or disastrous this year, and the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District is working to prepare for both scenarios. Board member Jeffrey Brookner, chair of the finance committee, said at Tuesday’s meeting that there are some rumors and concerns that there could be some major cuts in this year’s budget. “Three years ago when the governor’s first budget reduced state aid and required districts to apply excess surplus to state aid, we were forced to use taxpayer money and we lost $7 million in state aid and more than 100 staff members,” he said. “There is some concern that the same thing could happen this year.” But, Brookner emphasized, these are all just rumors…
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
This is part of $230,000 in additional security recommended for the 2013-14 school budget.
Superintendent of Schools Michael Schilder is advocating strongly for the board to devote $230,000 in the 2013-14 budget for additional security at the Bridgewater-Raritan High School. “Not every bit of this money is allocated in my mind or the mind of the finance committee,” he said during his budget presentation at Tuesday’s board of education meeting. “It becomes somewhat of a floating item.” But, Schilder said, he strongly suggests that about $100,000 of that allocation should be used to hire a second school resource officer (SRO) for the high school. This, Schilder said, is almost entirely because the school is an open campus. “I am very much advocating for that tonight,” he said. “I feel strongly that we must increase the security …
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Board of education will hear the second of about five presentations.
The board of education is expected to hear a second presentation on the proposed 2013-14 budget, which, as presented in December, could show a 1.76 percent tax levy. Superintendent of Schools Michael Schilder is expected to make a second presentation on the budget at Tuesday’s board of education meeting. This proposal expects flat state aid, although those numbers won’t be available until February or March. The total proposed budget, at this time, is $139,392,430, a 2.88 percent increase over the 2012-2013 budget. This 1.76 percent increase, Schilder has said, also represents no additions or cuts to the budget as it stands now, although a 2 percent increase—the maximum allowed by the state—would allow for the addition of $285,475 of costs …
Eric Cartman
7:42 pm on Friday, March 22, 2013
...and you retirement savings? ....and your Medicare? I'm not old. Why should I have to pay for health care for seniors? more ›