Average Households in Westwood Would See Tax Increase While Township Taxes Would Decrease in Proposed School Budget

If voters approve the proposed $50.1 million 2011-2012 Westwood Regional School District budget, borough residents with an average home assessed at $398,240 will see a school tax increase of $165 for the year while township residents with an average home assessed at $542,800 will have their taxes decrease by $47.04 for the year.

Because of the assessments of both municipalities, Superintendent Geoffrey Zoeller said Westwood residents would be responsible for 52.79 percent of the tax levy for the school district budget while Washington Township residents would pay 47.21 percent. For the 2010-2011 budget, Westwood residents paid 51.13 percent while township residents paid 48.87 percent.

Zoeller outlined the proposed spending plan to members of the school board and the public Thursday night during the Board of Education meeting. He said that officials plan to uphold a rich and diverse learning experience for the students while keeping the taxpayers in mind.

The vast majority of the revenue of the proposed budget, more than 91 percent, comes from the general local tax levy. State aid makes up just under 2 percent of the revenue, along with some other sources. Zoeller said .

The majority of expenditures is on instruction, which makes up 36.5 percent. Employee benefits and other support services take about 17 percent of expenditures.

Zoeller said one of the areas of the budget he is pleased with is keeping special education students in the district instead of sending them to other schools. He said creating programs for students in-house not only benefits the students who can remain with their friends in many cases, but it also saves the district money because some of the outside programs "are very costly."

The district will be saving $147,500 by bringing students housed at the Sullivan Center in back into district buildings. Zoeller said after the reconfiguration of the grades there is more room at for those students and the district will no longer have to pay rent.

A major savings from the current budget is in the area of transportation. Zoeller said the district will spend $458,300 less because of buying a bus and combining bus routes.

The largest increase in spending will be on salaries, with $562,088 additional funds allocated. Unemployment compensation is also up $180,000.

Zoeller said education officials have $99,296 earmarked for the creation of an alternative high school program, which is meant to help students at risk of not graduating because of difficulties like pregnancy and drug addiction. Another $54,590 is set aside for a new middle school staffer, either an English teacher, special education teacher or a combination of the two.

He also explained a $35,000 expense for creating boys and girls lacrosse at Westwood High School. He said creating the program, which already exists in the borough and the township recreational programs, would encourage students to stay in the district for high school instead of transferring to other schools. Zoeller said lacrosse is currently a hot college sport with scholarship opportunities. He added that the cost for 2011-2012 would decrease in future years because all the equipment wouldn't have to be purchased each year.

Zoeller said the whole budget process is about and for the students. "Virtually all the money goes to kids," he said.

He encouraged everyone to vote in the school election April 27 from 2 to 9 p.m.

A live budget broadcast on WCTV is scheduled for April 8 at 8 p.m. when residents can call in and ask questions of Zoeller and Business Administrator Keith Rosado.

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