Five Things You Need to Know About the Superintendent's Advisory Team's First Meeting

1.     There are 88 K-8 school districts where the enrollment is over 751 in the State of New Jersey, and Galloway Township is among them. Of those districts, Galloway is the third lowest when it comes to legal services costs and 14^th lowest in administrative costs.

2.     While many people believe the 2 percent cap affects the entire school budget, Business Administrator Tim Kelley assured the advisory team that only counts for the tax levy, which makes up a little over half the budget, along with state aid, which accounts for 41 percent of the budget, meaning that about 1 percent of the total budget falls under that cap.

3.     There are 10 mandated areas of teaching for schools in the state, including English Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, World Language, 21^st Century Skills and Careers, Visual and Performing Arts, Physical Education and Technology. Schools are also required to provide services such as English as a Second Language, Gifted and Talented, Intervention and Referral Service, School Counseling, School Nursing, Special Education and Basic Skills.

4.     The total bond for the proposal in the March 13 referendum is $6,982,500, and spans 15 years. Galloway residents with homes assessed at $200,000 would see tax increases as follows: $28 for the first year; $26 for the second year; $23 for the third year; $20 for the fourth year. After five years, the school district says residents will see their taxes go down by $17.

5.     Despite no longer needing voter approval to pass the school budget as long as it remains under the 2 percent tax cap, the district must still hold a public hearing on the budget. This year’s hearing takes place March 26.