Proposed West Orange School Budget Would Mean Tax Increase

WEST ORANGE, NJ — A tax increase is in the cards for West Orange homeowners under the latest proposed school budget, administrators say.

The West Orange Board of Education heard a presentation from Assistant Superintendent Hayden Moore about the preliminary 2023-2024 school budget at their meeting on March 20 (watch the video below).

The proposed budget would mean a yearly tax hike of $296 for the average West Orange homeowner with a property assessed at $336,591, an increase of about $25 per month. See Related: Average Property Tax Bill In West Orange Is Growing, Latest Data Shows

According to Moore, the 2023-2024 preliminary budget includes:

• Support for increased student enrollment in schools and specialized programs (preschool disabilities, special education, English language learners)
• Maintaining the existing staff levels
• Maintaining the district’s instructional, extracurricular and athletic programs
• Making a “significant” $4.3 million investment in the district’s infrastructure, including playground replacement at Washington School, elevator replacement at the high school (Pleasant Valley Way) and refurbishing the exterior masonry at the WOHS auditorium

Property taxes in New Jersey are made up of three parts: school, municipal and county. Here’s how that played out in West Orange last year (numbers rounded up):

• School – 61.7%
• Municipal – 26%
• County – 12.4%

A public hearing and adoption of the final budget is scheduled for the board’s meeting on Monday, May 8.

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