The West Windsor-Plainsboro School District has lowered the tax impact under its proposed $158.8 million 2011-’12 budget thanks to a $1.5 million increase in state aid.
The Board of Education voted to adopt an amended budget to account for the additional funds on March 8. The added state aid decreased the amount to be raised by taxes from the $149 million originally proposed last month to $147.4 million. That’s a 2.7 percent tax increase.
Despite the reduction, board members Ellen Walsh and Todd Hochman continue to oppose the budget, citing its impact on taxpayers. They voted against the amendment, just as they voted against the budget as originally proposed.
The preliminary budget, with the amendment, was sent to the county superintendent by a vote of 7-2. A public hearing and adoption of the budget is scheduled for Tuesday, March 29.
During the budget presentation, Larry Shanok, assistant superintendent for finance, released more details about the budget, which represents a $2.9 million — or 1.9 percent — increase over last year’s $155.9 package.
The original budget projected an increase of 3.8 percent in the amount of taxes to be raised, to nearly $149 million. This number is well over the state-mandated 2 percent cap on property tax increases due to exemptions on certain expenditures.
The tax numbers decreased after the governor restored $1.5 million in aid, which represents some 20 percent of what the district lost when the governor cut $7.7 million in aid last year, Shanok said.
When it comes to breaking down the tax burden, Plainsboro will be paying a higher increase in taxes this year.
In Plainsboro, taxpayers will pay a nearly $58 million in support of the school budget — a 2.6 percent increase over last year’s $56.5 million tax levy. In West Windsor, the amount to be raised by taxation is $82 million, an increase of 2 percent over last year’s $80.4 million.
In his presentation, Shanok said the amount of taxes to be raised in both towns to support the “general fund” is $140 million — an increase of 2.3 percent over last year’s $136.9 million.
Meanwhile, Plainsboro taxpayers will see an 11.5 percent increase in the taxes they pay for debt service, and increase from $2.7 million to $3 million. West Windsor’s will increase by 10.9 percent, from $3.9 million to $4.3 million this year.
The total amount of taxes raised to pay debt service is $7.3 million, an increase of 11.2 percent over last year’s $6.6 million.
Overall, the general fund and debt service tax levies in this year;’s budget total $147.4 million — an increase of 2.7 percent over last year.
This number did not sit well with Hochman, who said that while he was pleased the governor reinstated some of the state aid to offset the tax burden, 2.7 percent was still too high of an increase.
Walsh echoed the sentiment, saying she learned of a number of people within the community who have lost their jobs. She said she also heard a “disturbing” statistic about South’s senior class trip to Disney World.
“The number of students going on the senior class trip to Disney world is down by half the number that it usually is,” she said. “A majority of the reasons from the students who aren’t going is that their parents can’t afford to send them. It’s just another indication this community isn’t affording things as we used to be.”
Walsh’s husband, Quentin Walsh, also voiced his opposition to the tax increase. However, West Windsor Resident Sara Spangler Campanella said she was in favor of the budget because she believed in maintaining a level of quality of education for the students. “I really don’t think we should shortchange our students,” who will be leaders in the future, she said.
