By Andrew Martins
Staff Writer
JACKSON – Months of work spent developing a budget for the upcoming school year has culminated with the introduction of a $148 million budget that will fund the operation of the Jackson School District from July 1, 2016 through June 30, 2017.
Board of Education members and district administrators discussed the spending plan on March 15 and said it will be supported by the collection of $79.2 million in taxes from Jackson’s residential and commercial property owners.
A public hearing on the budget is scheduled to be held at 6:30 p.m. April 26 at the Jackson Memorial High School Fine Arts Center. The board may vote to adopt the budget after the public hearing.
The school district’s 2015-16 budget totaled $147.6 million and was supported by a $77.7 million tax levy.
The spending plan for the 2016-17 school year includes a nearly $800,000 increase for capital improvements, as that line item has been bumped up from $241,000 in 2015-16 to $1 million for the next 12 months.
“The finance committee and our administrative team worked very hard to be able to do all of this within the state-designated spending cap, and even though we will be working on this budget until the public hearing, we are pleased with the ways we will be supporting our students and staff,” Superintendent of Schools Stephen Genco said.
According to administrators, Jackson’s school tax rate will increase from $1.27 per $100 of assessed valuation in 2015-16 to $1.29 per $100 of assessed valuation for the 2016-17 school year.
In 2015, the average home assessment in Jackson was $325,216. The owner of that home paid $4,130 in school taxes. In 2016, the average home assessment is $325,748 and the owner of that home can expect to pay about $4,201 in school taxes.
If an individual’s home was assessed at $275,000 in 2015 and is assessed at $275,000 in 2016, that individual’s school tax will increase from $3,492 to $3,547.
If an individual’s home was assessed at $400,000 in 2015 and is assessed at $400,000 in 2016, that individual’s school tax will increase from $5,080 to $5,160.
If an individual’s home was assessed at $500,000 in 2015 and is assessed at $500,000 in 2016, that individual’s school tax will increase from $6,350 to $6,450.
Jackson residents pay more or less in school taxes depending on the assessment of the property they own.
School taxes are one component of a property owner’s total tax bill. In addition to school taxes, property owners also pay Jackson municipal taxes, Ocean County taxes and other assessments.
The school district will receive $50.6 million in state aid in 2016-17, which is an increase of $184,750 from 2015-16, according to district administrators.
Officials said the budget will pay for new elementary school math textbooks, new science textbooks for grades nine through 12, new teaching materials for physics courses and new science lab furniture for grades six through eight.
District administrators said the 2016-17 budget provides for the purchase of 21 sets of Chromebook laptop computer carts for science teachers in grades six through 12, four Epson LCD projectors with interactive white boards and six document cameras for science classrooms in grades six through eight.
Administrators said the budget allows the technology department to invest in more “hands-on technology” and funds improvements to the technology infrastructure, including new servers and switches, and new Promethean Boards in the Christa McAuliffe Middle School.
Officials said the district is planning to debut an “enhanced inclusive preschool model” that will bring students who have special needs and students who are in the regular education population together in the same classroom. The new model will allow for leadership opportunities and differentiated instruction that focuses on cognitive, language, social/emotional and physical development, according to district administrators.
“This is a solid budget that allows us to make investments in our curriculum, maintain our facilities and offer the varied curricular and extracurricular activities our students deserve,” Genco said.
