Monmouth Regional Adopts 'Lean and Mean' Budget for 2011-2012

The Monmouth Regional Board of Education adopted its $25 million budget for 20111-2012 on Tuesday night following a public hearing at its regular monthly meeting.

Describing the budget as "lean and mean," Board of Education President Anthony Schaible congratulated the school's superintendent and business administrator for "doing something with nothing."

The general fund of $24 million is down $434,513 from last year or 1.79 percent.

According to Monmouth Regional’s business administrator, Maria Anne Parry, the reduction can be attributed to attrition, a transportation jointure with Eatontown School District and reorganization of bus routes, energy savings, budget cuts to supplies and travel and the reduction of 10.4 positions within the district.

The public portion of the general budget to be funded through the property tax levy is $18.75 million for the three sending districts, which is an increase of $50,000 over last year’s tax levy prior to the budget’s defeat.

For the owner of the average assessed home in Eatontown of $310,000, the tax implication of the budget is a $16.74 decrease annually or $1.39 per month. The total amount to be paid is $1,219.39 for Eatontown taxpayers, which is about 44 percent of the general fund tax levy.

Tinton Falls homeowners of the average assessed residence of $321,370 will pay approximately $1,140.79 annually, which makes up about 54 percent of the total tax levy. That is an increase of $70 over last year’s taxes and the tax rate rose from .33 percent in 2010-2011 to .35 percent in 2011-2012.

In Shrewsbury Township, the owner of an average assessed home of $204,629 will pay $14 more annually or a total of $638.37. The tax rate also rose from .30 in 2011-2011 to .31 in 2011-2012.

Parry said that the formula used to determine district obligations is calculated by the state and takes into consideration the equalized value of a town and the enrollment number of students.

Monmouth Regional received $3.66 million is aid for 2011-2012, which is an increase of $404,119 over last year. Of that, $150,235 was federal funding for the Education Jobs Fund and $254,119 is aid from the state that equals 1 percent of last year’s general fund. The high school lost $56,970 in impact aid from the state with the impending closing of Fort Monmouth in September.

Planned capital projects for 2011-2012 include an upgrade of the school’s fire system that will allow easier identification of the location of a crisis within the building, which Parry said should be completed by this summer. Forty percent of the project will be paid through the School Development Authority that assists districts in obtaining grants.

Upcoming programs for 2011-2012 highlighted at the meeting included:

• Arena scheduling: Allowing students to create schedules with real time knowledge whether a class is full
• Student Wi-FI
• Summer Program: Enabling students to complete classes they did not pass in the summer rather than taking up current schedules.
• Faculty Web sites
• Active boards installed in classrooms
• Additional laptop carts purchased for the district

The public will have the opportunity to vote on the budget during school elections on April 27.