HOWELL — The Howell K-8 School District Board of Education has adopted a $118.1 million budget to support the operation of the school district during the 2022-23 school year.
The budget was adopted during a meeting on May 4.
According to information provided by the board, the $118.11 million budget will be supported through the collection of $82.58 million in taxes from Howell’s residential and commercial property owners.
Under the terms of state legislation known as S-2, Howell will see its state aid decrease by $2.82 million; from $25.16 million during the 2021-22 school year to $22.34 million during the 2022-23 school year, according to information provided by the New Jersey Department of Education.
According to Ronald Sanasac, the assistant superintendent for business administration and board secretary, S-2 and the state aid cuts present the biggest struggle for current budgets as well as long-term impact on the school district.
The 2021-22 budget totaled $118.1 million and was supported through the collection of $82.04 million in taxes from Howell’s residential and commercial property owners.
The school district’s tax rate for 2021-22 was about $1.09 per $100 of assessed valuation. The average home in Howell was assessed at $371,527 and the owner of that home paid about $4,040 in K-8 school taxes.
According to Sanasac, for the 2022-23 school year, the school district’s tax rate will be 97.4 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. The average home in Howell is now assessed at $416,900. The owner of a home assessed at the township average will pay about $4,061 in K-8 school taxes.
Howell K-8 school taxes are one item on an individual’s total property tax bill, which also includes Howell municipal taxes, Monmouth County taxes, Freehold Regional High School District taxes and a fire district tax.
An individual pays more or less in taxes depending on the assessed value of his home and/or property and the tax rate that is set by each taxing entity.
A decrease in the school tax rate – such as is occurring in Howell from 2021-22 to 2022-23 – does not necessarily mean an individual will pay less in taxes during the upcoming year.
The Howell school district consists of 12 schools.
The pre-kindergarten through second grade schools are the Adelphia School, the Greenville School, the Griebling School, the Land O’ Pines School and the Taunton School.
The schools with grades three through five are the Aldrich School, the Ardena School, Memorial School, the Newbury School and the Ramtown School.
The two middle schools for grades six through eight are Howell Middle School North and Howell Middle School South.
The school district’s enrollment on Oct. 15, 2020 was 5,412 students. The enrollment on Oct. 15, 2021 was 5,417 students. The estimated enrollment for Oct. 15, 2022 is 5,409 students, according to a User Friendly Budget posted on the district’s website.
