Long Branch Schools: No Tax Increase Expected

LONG BRANCH—While the city's budget has been the topic of discussion recently with the , the Long Branch School District budget also looms on the horizon.

Early looks at the Long Branch School District's budgeting shows the strong likelihood that city schools can maintain the same levels of costs as the past two years. No increase in school taxes is expected, at least for now.

Long Branch Superintendent of Schools Joseph Ferraina said the cost control measures he and his staff have exercised have allowed him to manage projected costs of operations so as to keep tax increases in abeyance. 

“We have been looking at changing how we do things, looking for opportunities to save through automation, through how we do certain things," Ferraina said. "We will continue to do so.”

”We have kept tight controls on personnel replacements when employees retire," Ferraina added. "We are now looking into different busing plans with possible big savings there.  As we look forward we see opportunities to improve operations and other costs.”

Ferraina said the school is looking for ways to keep services for students at low costs.

“We look to automation to help us contain and improve our costs picture," he said. "In that way we can better use the taxpayers’ money while keeping school programs always improving and students services costs as low as possible.”

He said the goal is to avoid any tax increase this year and for upcoming years, as well.

“Our goal is to avoid increases in tax burdens from school operations for the coming years," Ferraina said. "We are going to continue the path that allowed us to show no increase last year over the year before. We look out two years, two and a half years, sometimes more, as we move forward. That management approach allows us be in a positive position to address any scenarios that may evolve.”

“We cannot be satisfied with doing things as we always have in the past. Monitoring our system, always looking for better ways to accomplish tasks, gives us the ability to be cost effective,” Ferraina added.

In a conversation a week earlier with Long Branch School District Assistant Superintendent Michael Salvatore, similar management tools were referenced.

Salvatore said the planning views he and Ferraina have used often take a look as much as five years ahead. He said that approach gives the school an early look at ways to move progressively to provide an excellent education for Long Branch students while keeping taxpayer costs in mind.