Schools
BOE Adopts $190M School Budget In East Brunswick, Includes Tax Hike
A public hearing was held on May 4, and no revisions were made. The increase in expenditure was attributed to inflation and rising costs.
EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — The East Brunswick School District adopted the 2023-2024 budget during the Board of Education meeting held last Thursday.
The tentative budget proposed for the next school year is $190 million with a tax levy of 1.7 percent.
The budget was first introduced in March and a public hearing was held on May 4. No revisions were made. More: $190M School Budget Introduced In East Brunswick
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The district is looking at about $9.2 million in expenditure in 2024, with increases seen in transportation, salaries, facilities maintenance, health benefits etc. The increase in cost is mainly due to inflation and rising prices of goods and services.
The district told community members it participates in various cost controls and shared services which have helped with savings.
Find out what's happening in East Brunswickfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Through the Energy Savings Improvement Program, the district was able to avoid $1.7 million dollars in energy costs. The savings went towards paying the debt, Business Administrator Bernardo Giuliana said during the public hearing.
The increase in budget for 2024 was in the following areas:
- Transportation: $4.03M
- Salaries/contracts/new staff: $2.1M
- OOD Tuition: $0.80M
- Projected health benefits: $0.76M
- Facilities maintenance: $0.59M
- Charter schools: $0.50M
- Related services, therapeutic counseling: $0.46M
The school district will see an increase of $6.5 million in state aid for the next school year. That along with local tax impact will support the $9.3 million in expenses, Giuliana said.
The budget will also help keep class sizes steady.
The district will focus on dealing with the aftereffects of the pandemic on students, namely mental health issues and social-emotional issues.
Outside of pandemic recovery, the district is also focused on programs and services offered to students. This includes the expansion of schools and the addition of temporary classroom units.
The final budget will be submitted to the NJ Department of Education for review and approval.
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