SRHS board introduces $13.2M budget
Of four sending towns, Sea Bright would see largest tax hike
BY SUE MORGAN
Staff Writer

WEST LONG BRANCH - The smallest of Shore Regional High School's sending towns could see the largest tax hike if district voters accept the regional Board of Education's proposed $13.2 million budget for academic year 2006-07 later this month.

However, between all four of the towns, property owners in Monmouth Beach, which has the highest amount of assessed valuation, could find themselves facing the greatest hike in district school taxes per month and per year, according to documents distributed at the school board's March 29 meeting.

The board, consisting of representatives of West Long Branch and Oceanport as well as Sea Bright and Monmouth Beach, introduced the proposed budget, which is due to go before voters in all four towns on April 18.

The total proposed spending plan of $13,246,215 is $864,528 more than the $12,381,937 budget for 2005-06, representing a 7 percent increase in expenditures, according to district Business Administrator Steve Brennan.

Because the latest state aid numbers were not available at the time of the budget preparation, the spending plan was crafted using the state aid numbers from 2005-06, according to a copy of a resolution to introduce the budget that was adopted by the board.

Broken down, the proposed budget calls for $13,016,832 for the district's general fund and $229,633 for the special revenue fund - that is, those programs mandated by the state and federal government.

The total tax levy to be borne by property owners in the four sending towns is $12,151,366, according to figures distributed by Brennan.

Each of the four towns picks up a different percentage of the total tab based on net taxable valuation under a formula determined by the state Department of Education, Brennan explained.

The formula is based on average assessed valuation in each town and the number of students sent to the district high school, Brennan said.

Average assessed values in Oceanport and West Long Branch are higher than they were for the 2005-06 budget because the government of both municipalities carried out a revaluation of properties last year, he noted.

Revaluations were conducted in Sea Bright and Monmouth Beach in 2004, he said.

Sea Bright officials were expected to meet in a closed session with Brennan and board members on Monday night to discuss the proposed budget, according to district Schools Superintendent Leonard G. Schnapphauf.

Sea Bright taxpayers would then see an average school tax increase of $9.33 monthly or almost $112 yearly on a property assessed at the borough average of $383,000, district figures show.

In Monmouth Beach, the school tax rate would increase by 2.8 cents from the existing 63.8 cents to 66.6 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.

That impact amounts to average increase of $13.50 monthly, or $162 annually, on a home assessed at the borough average of $584,000, district documents show.

In West Long Branch, property owners would see school taxes go up by 1 cent from 58 cents to 59 cents per $100 of assessed valuation.

That borough, which also sends most of Shore Regional's student body, would see an average school tax hike of $4 per month, or $48 yearly, on a home assessed at $473,000, the borough average under the latest reassessment.

Oceanport, which sends the second greatest number of students to the high school, would see school property taxes go up by nine-tenths of a cent from 64.3 cents to 65.2 cents per $100 of assessed valuation under the proposed budget.

That increase amounts to a school tax hike of $4.17 monthly or just over $50 yearly on a property assessed at the borough average of $580,000, the updated average under the last borough reassessment.

Increased costs of instruction, particularly for special education and out-of-district placement, transportation and supervision of instructors, account for most of the higher expenditures, according to district documents.

State aid calculated into the budget amounts to $745,052 and federal aid equals $205,041, district documents show.

No one from the public spoke during the hearing on the budget.

In crafting this year's spending plan, Brennan said he used "zero-based budgeting," a process by which department administrators are asked to show the needs of their areas of supervision and to justify the costs.

Board Vice President Anthony Moro praised Brennan's efforts to keep the budget within taxpayer reach despite state aid remaining flat to school districts.

"It's a really prudent budget," said Moro, who led the meeting in the absence of board President Diane Merla.

"The zero-based budget is a good concept and a good way to begin," he added.

Board member Paul Rolleri, who heads the finance sub-committee also believes the budget will be acceptable to voters.

"It's one of the better budgets we've had in years," Rolleri said. "Based on the formula we had, we did very well."

Elections for four open seats, three three-year terms and one unexpired term, will be held concurrently with the vote on the budget in the four sending communities.

Moro, of Monmouth Beach is running unopposed. Fellow incumbent Richard Bohnert, also of Monmouth Beach, is being challenged by David Baker for his unexpired one-year seat.

Rolleri, of Oceanport, is also running unopposed for a new three-year term as is Joan Brearly, Sea Bright's representative on the board.

Shore Regional High School serves ninth- to 12th-graders.