FH school budget would increase by 5 percent
If approved, school tax would be 79 cents per $100
BY CHRISTINE VARNO
Staff Writer

FAIR HAVEN — The Fair Haven Board of Education has introduced a $9.5 million preliminary school budget, representing a 5-percent increase over last year’s budget.

The $462,093 increase would raise homeowners’ taxes by 4 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, if the budget is approved, making the local school tax rate approximately 79 cents per $100 of assessed value, up from 75 cents.

That would mean a homeowner living in the average home in Fair Haven assessed at approximately $526,000 would pay $18 more per month in taxes, or $339, up from $321.

Each 1-cent increase in Fair Haven raises an additional $110,456.

The public hearing on the budget is scheduled for the Board of Education meeting on March 23 at 7 p.m., and the public vote is scheduled for April 19 between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m., according to Valery Petrone, the school business administrator.

According to the board’s budget summary, the highest priority items in the budget include the replacement of two lunch tables — one at each of the borough’s two schools — at $2,600 a unit, numerous folding chairs at $14 a chair and one wire cage for storage at $1,700.

The board would also like to replace the power washer at $1,800, water coolers at a total of $2,400 and vacuums at $1,450, if possible.

The lowest rated items on the list include relamping the gym at $7,200 and recarpeting a room at $2,160.

Responsible for 11 percent of the budget, the benefits have increased by 18 percent from last year’s budget, from $964,115 to $1,134,733.

Benefits include medical, dental and prescription costs for all covered staff, according to the budget summary.

Instructional support, just 4 percent of the budget, rose by 6 percent to $380,000, and salaries, which comprise 51 percent of the budget, rose another 5 percent to $4,8881,615.

Instructional support includes general and instructional supplies for all areas, including general education, health, library, staff development, technology and general administration, according to the summary.

The salaries include K through 8 teachers, enrichment teachers, teacher aides, librarians, nurses, a guidance counselor, secretaries and administrators.

Special education transportation would be reduced 9 percent, from $140,000 to $128,000, because there is one less student who requires transportation, board President Michael Kaye said at the March 3 special meeting.

The remaining increases include operations and maintenance, which rose 2 percent from $1,056,106 to $1,084,781, and special education instruction, which only increased by $12,739 — a .7 percent increase.

Operations and maintenance include utilities, insurance, salaries of custodians and maintenance staff, maintenance contracts, repair of equipment, routine and required maintenance, and garbage removal, according to the summary.

Special education instruction includes salaries for all staff related to the education of in-district students, tuition costs for students in out-of-district placements, and supplies.

If the budget is voted down on April 20, the Borough Council will review the spending plan. The council is not required to make any changes to the budget, though it can, if it chooses, reduce or even increase the amount of money the district plans to spend and raise through taxes.

If the school board believes the changes the council has made would too severely affect the district operations, they may appeal the council’s decision to the state commissioner of education, who would have the last word on any revisions to the budget.