School District Budget Includes 38 New Jobs, Flat Tax Levy

The New Brunswick School District's $198.2 million school budget will be supported by $27.3 million in local taxes, the same amount as years prior, district officials said Wednesday.

At Wednesday's Board of Education meeting, school superintendent Richard Kaplan said the district received an increase of more than $600,000 in state aid for the 2012-13 budget. This comes on top of a $20 million infusion of aid that the district received in the 2011-12 school year, some of which was able to be rolled into the current budget.

As a result, the increased funding will permit the district to bring back some student programs that were cut a few years ago when the district was hit with a $10 million state aid cut, Kaplan said.

The 2012-13 budget is $13.6 million more than the budget for the 2011-12 school year, due to the aid, according to the district.

The school tax rate will rise to $2.2628, resulting in a school tax increase of $39.39 to taxpayers.

This means that the average assessed home of $118,000 in New Brunswick will pay about $2,670 in school taxes for the year.

Some of the programs to be reinstated and expanded include the district's gifted and talented program, basic skills programs at the elementary level, and a "very robust" summer school program, according to John Anzul, assistant superintendent of curriculum.

Anzul said the district is also planning technology upgrades, such as more laptop and ipod carts in the schools, more computers in classrooms and Smart Boards.

Additionally, administration hopes to hire more social workers, a substance abuse counselor and a guidance counselor and more teachers for the gifted and talented and basic skills programs. Dean of students positions may also be created at the high school and middle school, he said.

Kaplan said that the district is also putting money aside specifically for school repairs and construction.

According to the district, $8.3 million has been budgeted for school renovations. Kaplan said that this was an intentional project, spurred in part by state control of construction and renovation at the district's and elementary schools. Both projects have been bedeviled by long delays.

Kaplan said that some schools in the district are over 100 years old, and need to be renovated and updated.

The district will hold a budget hearing at 7 p.m. March 27.

For more information about the budget, visit the district website at www.nbps.k12.nj.us.