Bridgewater-Raritan Passes ‘Tentative’ 2008-2009 School Budget

Debate or Budget Meeting? I had a choice tonight: Stay at home to watch the Clinton-Obama debate, or drive to the Wade Building in Martinsville to see how the Bridgewater-Raritan School Board and Administration would deal with the preliminary 2008-2009 school budget. Once such a budget is adopted, I’ve never known one to change before being presented to the voters in the April election.

Given the obfuscations of both national candidates in the TV debate, which I painfully watched for a few minutes upon returning home, I think I made the right move in deciding to go to the Wade building.

Here’s the recap: A general fund budget of $128.8 million was adopted for the next school year. That represents a $4.9 million increase (4%) over last year’s number.

The impact is that, if finally adopted as presented, the new budget will result in a real estate school tax increase of $141.81 for Bridgewater Township homeowners on a house with a $450,000 assessment. Raritan Borough homeowners would see an increase of $141.83 on a house assessed at $350,000. (These assessed values are said to represent averages in each community.)

This year, the Bridgewater-Raritan School District received a total of $12.1 million in State Aid, up by 24.9% from last year’s $9.7 million. You need to know that $2.4 million of this year’s total state aid was part of Governor Corzine’s 11th hour distribution of extra money to school districts throughout New Jersey. Without such assistance, Bridgewater-Raritan’s proposed budget of $128.8 million would produce a significantly higher local real estate tax.

The best fiscal surprise of the night, though, is what the Board of Education decided to do with that $2.4 million in extra state aid which drifted down like manna from the Corzine Administration. Those funds were awarded to the school district without spending limitations: In my opinion, a dangerous move.

However, bowing to much better judgment and to the spirit of the times, the Board and Administration decided to return $1.5 million to Bridgewater-Raritan taxpayers for direct tax relief. A very, very good move!

The remaining $.9 million of extra state aid will be used for facilities improvements at the middle school (largely for paving the parking lot), curriculum improvements, and to cover an increase in the District’s obligation to the Public Employees Retirement System.