Dennis Schools Proposes 2.19-Cent Tax Increase

DENNISVILLE — Dennis Township residents will vote on a 2.19-cent tax increase for their K-8 school district on April 21.
The school board here approved a $15 million budget with a $7.86 million tax levy.
The proposed tax rate was 79.89 cents compared to last year’s 77.7 cents. Homeowners here would pay $798 in school taxes for every $100,000 of their home’s assessed value, or $21.90 more than in 2008.
According to the district’s online multimedia budget presentation, the cost of classroom instruction, which includes teachers’ salaries, makes up the largest part of the district’s expenses at $7.3 million or 49 percent of the proposed budget. The next two highest costs were Special Education at $2.6 million or 18 percent and employee benefits at $1.7 million or 11 percent.
This budget would continue to maintain the programs that have led to outstanding student achievement on state assessments, the presentation said.
The budget includes the purchase manipulatives for the Math Department, lab equipment for the Science Program, books and supplemental materials for the Language Arts and Writing Programs, materials for the Social Studies Program, textbooks for the Health Program, updated library software and seven Smartboard instructional packages.
In addition to the budget, voters will be asked to pick three, three-year school board members from six candidates: Anne Marie Izzi, Louis Capuano, Robert Brewer, Renee Pettit, Dawn McDaniel and Christina Jessick.
Dennis Township polling places include:
District 1 and 6, Township Hall, 571 Dennisville-Petersburg Road, Dennisville
District 2 and 8, Ocean View Fire Hall, 2545 Route 9, Ocean View
District 3 Belleplain Fire House, Broadstreet, Belleplain
District 4 and 7, Belleplain Emergency Corp, 595 Dennisville Road, South Dennis
District 5, South Seaville Fire House, 489 Main St., South Seaville
Contact Hart at (609) 886-8600 Ext 35 or at: jhart@cmcherald.com