Local school taxes increasing in Medford Township
Medford residents will likely see an increase in their local school taxes this year as the school district continues to try and bring back programs and jobs cut in recent years.
A Medford resident with an average assessed home of $329,530 is expected to see a local school tax increase of $154.10 in 2014. The tax increase was included in a preliminary budget passed by the Board of Education during a special meeting on March 19.
The tax increase goes slightly above the two percent cap. Business administrator Chad Fires said the district is utilizing $661,081 of bank cap, allowing the district to exceed the two percent tax levy cap.
The preliminary budget was presented to the public during the board’s action meeting last night, with the motto “Rebuilding for the Future.” Superintendent Joseph Del Rossi said the district is continuing the process of cuts made four years ago.
Included in the preliminary budget are four restored teaching positions and one restored maintenance position. Those five positions were cut in 2009–10 school year.
Out of the four restored teaching positions, two are in technology, one is a librarian position and one is a music teacher.
Del Rossi said the decision was made to add the music teacher position over an art or gym position in order to benefit the most students.
“We felt we could impact the most students with this position,” Del Rossi said.
With the additional music teacher, all five elementary schools will have their own music teacher again. In addition, those music teachers will also teach band. The district cut two and a half band teaching positions in 2009–10 as well, but has still not brought those positions back.
The school district is also going forward with 11 capital projects. The majority of the work is the addition of security vestibules at all seven schools. The vestibules will funnel visitors directly into the respective building’s main office, according to Del Rossi.
“This will make it more difficult for an intruder to penetrate the building,” he said.
These projects qualify for Regular Operating District grants; meaning 40 percent of the costs will be reimbursed by the state of New Jersey.
The remaining cost will be paid through a lease purchase. Fires said the work will be done up front this summer and the district will pay off their share of the cost in future years.
“We will have five years to pay off the lease,” he said.
A public hearing day for the budget is set for April 28 at 7:30 p.m. at Medford Memorial Middle School.
In Other News:
• Del Rossi said only one incident was reported for the first half of the school year during the district’s violence and vandalism report. He said the one incident involved a knife a student brought into school. The incident was non-violent.
“It wasn’t brought into school to threaten anyone,” Del Rossi said.
• The Board of Education passed a revised calendar for the 2013–14 school year to make up a sixth snow day used earlier in March.
According to the revised calendar, June 23 will be a full day of school. June 24 and 25 will be early dismissal days. Class will end for students on June 25.
• Numerous middle school students were honored prior to the action portion of last week’s meeting. The Medford Memorial School girls’ basketball team was honored for its championship earlier this month. In addition, students were honored for their selection Olympic Conference and All South Jersey bands.
• The next Board of Education meeting is scheduled for Monday, April 28 at 7:30 p.m. at the middle school.
