School District Budget Proposes Less Than 1 Percent Tax Increase

At Monday's board of education meeting, Collingswood Public School District introduced a $32 million 2011-12 budget proposal, which would increase taxes .5 percent from this year's rates.

Collingswood Superintendent Scott A. Oswald said the proposed tax rate is 1.5 percent less than what New Jersey is allowing districts to make in 2011-12. The state, said Oswald, is allowing districts to raise taxes up to 2 percent.

For district residents, the proposal would raise taxes at different levels, depending on average home assessment values. Given that the proposed budget stands as-is, residents would see the following increases:

• For homes assessed at $100,000—residents would see a $12.04 annual increase
• For homes assessed at $200,000—residents would see a $24.08 annual increase
• For homes assessed at $300,000—residents would see a $36.12 annual increase
• For homes assessed at $400,000—residents would see a $48.16 annual increase
  
  
• For homes assessed at $232,556—which, districtwide, is the most average home value assessment—residents would see a $28 annual increase ($11 of which the district said is based on decreased ratables)

And when Oswald presented the proposal Monday night to a crowd of nearly 40 people—made up of residents and district employees—those in attendance ended the district's well-presented, thoroughly formulated presentation by asking hardly any questions.

And Board of Education President Louis Cappelli Sr.—who is currently serving his last term on the board—said the board was pleased with the proposal.

"I think the people who worked so hard to keep this increase as low as it is (board of education members) deserve thanks," said Cappelli during Monday's budget hearing. "Keeping an increase to half of 1 percent in this year's budget is an overall feat which the board, together, is pleased with."

But Oswald, who gave Monday night's budget hearing presentation, said keeping the increase to .5 percent doesn't necessarily mean the district will have to cut in other areas.

"This year (under the proposed 2011-12 budget), every current district position has been funded," said Oswald of making no position cuts. "And we'll still be able to add two additional psychology interns, one high school English teaching position, one part-time school nurse position, one part-time math position and one part-time science position to the district."

Oswald also said the proposed 2011-12 budget will allow both kindergartners and first-graders to return to Garfield Elementary School, under a dependent enrollment system used by the district in all other years except the current 2010-11 school year.

The proposed budget, according to Oswald, also means "very generous funding" for kindergarten through 12th-grade literacy initiatives, and the utilization of technology  in an environment boasting "interactive classrooms." 

And according to district officials, the additional benefits under the proposed 2011-12 school budget are a direct result of increased state aid. Compared to 2010-11 state aid losses, New Jersey has increased the district's state aid by $296,935 in 2011-12.

The 2011-12 budget also proposes a continued implementation of creative revenues through shared services. Oswald said the district will keep sharing services in the following avenues: maintenance and custodial services, teaching and support services, technology services, proposals for administrative services, purchasing services for both instructional and maintenance tools, and child study team services.

One of the few questions posed during Monday's public session asked, "(Under the proposed 2011-12 budget), are debt services coming out of our surplus?"

"No," said Oswald in response. "Our debt service is the same as it was last year."

According to Oswald, formulating this year's budget proposal was a process that kept the best interest of students at hand—but students weren't the only ones taken into consideration.

"Our goal, when creating this budget, was to be respectful to the taxpayers of Collingswood," said Oswald Monday evening. 

And all taxpaying district residents were urged to vote on this year's 2011-12 budget during election day.

Currently in his fourth year as Collingswood Public School District superintendent, Oswald has been with the district for three separate budget elections. During his time with the district, voters have passed all three budgets on election day.

"In the last several years, our budget has passed. The last time it didn't pass was before my time here," said Oswald earlier in the school year. "Last year, even with the state aid cuts, we passed our budget by the largest majority we've seen in years—it passed by over 300 votes. The year before that, it passed by 23 votes."

2011-2012 School Budget District Deadlines:

• 2011-2012 Budget Hearing—Completed/Held Monday, March 28
• Deadline to Register to Vote—Wednesday, April 6
• Deadline to Apply for Mail-In Ballot Voting—Wednesday, April 20
• Election Day—Wednesday, April 27

April 27 Election Day Polling Sites, All Open From 2 to 9 p.m.:

• Zane-North Elementary School—801 Stokes Rd., Collingswood
• Collingswood Community Center—30 West Collings Ave., Collingswood
• Scottish Rite Auditorium Ballroom—315 White Horse Pike, Collingswood
• Collingswood Public Library—771 Haddon Ave., Collingswood