9.9% Tax Levy Increase In Lacey Schools Budget

LACEY, NJ — A 9.9 percent tax levy increase is in store for Lacey residents with the adoption of a tentative budget for the 2024-25 school year.

It's been a challenging several months for the Lacey Township Board of Education since the district learned that a further loss of state aid would result in a $6.9 million deficit. Thanks to two bills, the district saw some funding restored and were allowed to exceed the two percent property tax cap.

A tentative budget was introduced in March, but an updated version of it was recently shared at a special June school board meeting. This version of the budget is balanced, district officials said.

The one-time tax increase will help close the budget gap, according to Superintendent Vanessa Pereira.

Also, a $420,000 donation from the Lacey Township Municipal Utilities Authority helped the district restore three tenured teachers and an elective at the high school.

Only 22 certificated positions are eliminated or reduced in the new budget, as opposed to the original 26. Eight positions are lost through attrition, or employees quitting/retiring. This allowed a guidance position to be restored.

You can see the impact the tax increase will have on homeowners in the graphic below.

July 5 is the deadline to submit the tentative budget, and July 22 is when the final budget must be submitted. The school board is hosting a public hearing for the final budget on June 21.

While some opposed the tax increase, others acknowledged that there was no other way for the district to function.

Resident Richard Bidnick criticized a previous comment of board President Skip Peters, who said that students "always" come first, and taxpayers second.

"That is an utter falsehood," Bidnick said. He added that without major reforms, the district does not deserve any more money.

One father expressed concerns about his child's safety as courtesy bussing was removed in the budget. Others worried what impact the budget cuts may have on the students' education.

But some were hopeful, and said that raising taxes was fine if it would help the childre.

"Nobody wants their taxes raised," said Matthew Holmberg, a teacher in the district. "But we're doing the best we can with what we have left."