By Peter Elacqua
Staff Writer
MARLBORO – The Marlboro K-8 School District Board of Education has adopted a 2017-18 budget that reduces the amount of money to be collected in local taxes from 2016-17.
The 2016-17 budget totaled $90.91 million and was supported by a tax levy of $75.12 million paid by Marlboro’s residential and commercial property owners.
For 2017-18, the township’s property owners will collectively pay $74.9 million – a savings of $220,000 – to support a budget that totals $91.2 million.
The budget was adopted on April 25 in a 7-2 vote with board President Debbie Mattos, Vice President Stephen Shifrinson and board members Robert Daniel, Randy Heller, Joanne Liu-Rudel, Robyn Wolfe and Ellen Xu voting yes.
Board members Dara Enny and Craig Marshall voted no.
Marshall said he voted no because he does not agree with the process the board takes regarding budget discussions.
“I want to stress that my objections to the budget have absolutely nothing to do with (Superintendent of Schools Eric Hibbs) and nothing to do with (Business Administrator) Cindy (Barr-Rague) and her staff,” Marshall said.
“I have been involved with the budget preparations for many years, I know what goes into it and kudos to (the staff) because I think (they) did a phenomenal job with what (they) had to work with.
“The issue I have with it is that I do not think we as a board are giving (the staff) the best parameters for which to work. I think there are a lot of things we can be doing different, but we do not have a consensus among the board,” Marshall said.
Barr-Rague said the tax levy has decreased by $220,000 from 2016-17 primarily because debt from 2011 has been paid off, debt service aid has increased and Marlboro’s ratable base has increased by more than $15 million.
Officials said the district will receive $11.65 million in state aid in 2017-18, which is the same as 2016-17. The budget for 2017-18 will use $655,560 from the district’s surplus fund as revenue. There will be $784,000 remaining in surplus.
The K-8 school tax rate is projected to decrease from $1.048 per $100 of assessed valuation in 2016-17 to $1.044 in 2017-18, according to Barr-Rague. The average home assessment has decreased from $494,873 in 2016-17 to $494,179 in 2017-18.
The owner of a home that was assessed at the township average in 2016-17 paid about $5,185 in K-8 school taxes. The owner of a home that is assessed at the township average in 2017-18 will pay about $5,158 in K-8 school taxes ($27 decrease).
The owner of a home that was assessed at $600,000 in 2016-17 paid $6,288 in K-8 school taxes. If that individual’s home is still assessed at $600,000 in 2017-18, the K-8 school taxes will be $6,264 ($24 decrease).
Officials budgeted $1.44 million to implement full-day kindergarten in September. The amount includes $434,000 for seven kindergarten teachers, $371,025 for 15 instructional assistants and $454,898 for health benefits for the new staff members.
The budget includes $1.65 million for capital projects at Marlboro’s schools: a partial roof replacement at Marlboro Elementary; exterior door replacement at Defino; interior doors and hardware replacement at Asher Holmes; placement of concrete walkways at Dugan and at Marlboro Memorial Middle School; removal of underground storage tanks at Defino, Marlboro Elementary, Robertsville and Asher Holmes; paving, installation of a new hot water heater and replacement of D Wing stairwell doors at Marlboro Middle School.
School taxes are one item on a property owner’s tax bill, which also includes Monmouth County taxes, Marlboro municipal taxes, Freehold Regional High School District taxes, a fire district tax and other assessments.
Barr-Rague said administrators are anticipating an enrollment of 4,929 pupils in 2017-18. The enrollment was 4,979 pupils as of Feb. 28. Enrollment has decreased from 6,060 students in 2008-09, according to district administrators.
