By ROBERT LINNEHAN
The Evesham K-8 School District will meet tonight at 7:30 p.m. at the regularly scheduled board of education meeting at the Marlton Elementary School. Along with its regular agenda, the board will be discussion the preliminary 2011–2012 school district budget.
Preliminary budgets are due by Friday, March 4. The BOE has already scheduled a special meeting to pass the preliminary budget on Thursday, March 3 at 7 p.m. at the DeMasi Middle School cafeteria.
The district faces some difficult decisions for next year’s budget. Superintendent John Scavelli Jr. unveiled several scenarios for the district and its 2011–2012 school budget. At best, the district is predicting a shortfall between revenues and expenditures of almost $4.7 million for next year, based on a 2 percent tax levy increase and flat state aid. At worst, with a flat tax rate, the 2011–2012 budget could have a shortfall as high as $5.7 million.
If the tax levy were to remain flat, the district would have to eliminate the equivalent of 81.5 full-time positions and close Evans Elementary School to reduce costs by $5.8 million. This also takes into consideration that the governor’s office may reduce the district’s state aid in an amount equal to the federal jobs funding they received for 2011–2012. The district received a little over $500,000 for the jobs funding.
Also unknown is the amount of state aid the district will receive. Yesterday Gov. Christie said each district in the state will receive more funding than it did for last year. The district received $11.5 million in aid for the 2010–2011 year.
A 2 percent increase would mean $35 more in the school tax bill next year for the average assessed Marlton homeowner. An average home in Marlton is about $277,000, Scavelli said.
To view the entire agenda for the BOE meeting, visit the district’s Web site at www.evesham.k12.nj.us.
