Living Paycheck to Paycheck: Crest District Proposes 4.4-Cent Tax Hike

WILDWOOD CREST — As bad as the school budget situation is in Wildwood, it’s even worse in this borough.
“Severe cuts in state aid are resulting in an increase to the amount local taxpayers will have to contribute towards next year’s school budget,” Wildwood Crest Superintendent of Schools Dennis Anderson said in a release on March 24.
The 2010-11 proposed budget is $7.5 million compared to $6.9 million last year, an increase of $600,000. The amount to be raised by taxes, however, increased by nearly $1 million, from $5.9 million for the 2009-10 budget to $6.8 million this year.
If this budget were approved, the district’s tax rate would increase by 4.4 cents from 25.5 cents last year to 29.9 cents this year. With this tax rate, taxpayers would owe almost $44 more per $100,000 of their property’s assessed value, from $255 to $299.
Anderson and school board Administrator Greg Rohrman serve in their respective roles with the Wildwood School District as well, and made a similar announcement for that district’s budget. Unlike Wildwood, however, the Crest district doesn’t have money in its emergency or maintenance reserve funds.
“The district used its reserves up long ago,” Rohrman told the Herald. “Now we’re living paycheck to paycheck.”
Anderson said a $333,000 cut in state aid as well as increases in tuition, utility and personnel costs account for the increase in the local levy.
“Those are all costs beyond our control,” Anderson said. “In those areas where we do have control of the cost the Board has held the line.”
Anderson noted some of the districts cost savings trends, including: district staff members contributing to their health benefit costs, participating in extensive shared services and bringing special needs students back in-district.
“Our Board recognizes the importance of stretching every dollar,” he said.
Anderson stated that the Board is continuing to look at every item in the budget for possible cuts, including extracurricular programs, cuts in supplies and foregoing maintenance projects.
“We absolutely are aware of the economic conditions in our town, our state, and our nation, so we have done everything we can to keep our budget as tight as possible,” he continued. “We are making every effort to avoid staff and program cuts, but everything is on the table. Layoffs are not out of the question.”
A public hearing on the budget is planned for March 30 at 5:30 p.m. in the Media Center of the Crest Memorial School, 9100 Pacific Ave.