Toms River: Central Regional budget would raise taxes in 3 of 5 member towns

School taxes will go up in three of the five towns that make up the Central Regional school district under the $33,610,093 budget for 2008-09 introduced tonight by the Board of Education.

A public hearing on the budget, which includes a tax levy of $25,796,028 -- up $941,401 over the previous year -- is scheduled for 6 p.m. March 27.

Superintendent David Trethaway said that despite the increase, the district is below what the state considers an adequate level of funding.

"Our budget is $4.1 million less than what the state considers the local fair share,'' he said. "The major cost drivers in the budget are pension contributions, health benefits, utilities and gasoline, and out-of-district placement for sixth-graders entering the middle school. That gives us an increase of $1.5 million.''

Trethaway explained that the finance committee was able to make about $700,000 in cuts by cutting back on purchases.

For example, he said that English textbooks will be replaced in stages, as will computers.

"We're not cutting staff or programs and we won't be adding any, either,'' he said.

The proposed spending plan calls for tax hikes in Berkeley, Seaside Heights and Seaside Park, said Craig A. Lorentzen, board secretary.

Taxes will go up 2.4 cents per $100 of assessed value in Berkeley to 66.4 cents, he said. The owner of a home valued at $108,600, the borough's average, would pay $26.11 more.

In Seaside Heights, the taxes would go up 3.2 cents per $100 of assessed value to 28.9 cents. The owner of a home valued at $310,300 would pay $588.49 more, Lorentzen said.

"The high number in Seaside Heights is due to the recent revaluation where the value of business properties, such as the Boardwalk, dropped, and the value of personal property increased,'' he said.

In Seaside Park, the tax rate will go up 1 cent to 54.3 cents per 100 of assessed value and the owner of a home valued at $335,512, the borough's average, would see an $81 increase in the annual regional school tax bill, he said.

Taxes would decrease slightly in Island Heights and Ocean Gate. Island Heights would see a 0.005-cent drop from 26.5 cents per $100 of assessed value to 26.1 cents and the owner of a home valued at $382,900 would pay $18.20 less.

In Ocean Gate, there would also be a 0.005 cent decrease from 35.7 cents last year to 35.1 cents this year. The owner of a home valued at $239,200, the borough's average, would pay $6.41 less in taxes.

Lorentzen said the district will eventually lose $309,000 in revenue due to the removal of senior stabilization aid from the new school funding formula adopted by the legislature unless efforts to restore the money are successful.

"We have the aid this year but we have to spread it out among all of the towns in the
district,'' he said. In past years, the aid, which was given because Berkeley has a high senior citizen population, was earmarked to help Berkeley residents.

Board members said they hope that residents will vote favorably on the budget this year.

"This budget is the soundest budget we are going to get under the circumstances,'' said board member Robert Ray.

Board member Keith Buscio noted that the budget was only going up 2.5 percent, which is below the consumer price index.

"It's so frustrating for us to have to be so thrifty. There are so many things we want to be able to do for our students but we can't,'' said board member Denise Pavone-Wilson.

"Take a look at our bleachers. They're falling apart,'' she said. "Some of the windows in the building are original.''

"We try to take care of the facilities every year but it's becoming harder and harder to do so when the budget is defeated and the money gets cut,'' Cheryl Mackenzie, the board president said.