Page 8 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • April 14, 2010 FLOW Area Budget down, taxes up in regional school district by Frank J. McMahon The Ramapo Indian Hills Regional High School District’s 2010-11 total budget of $47,736,259 that was approved for submission to the voters at a recent public hearing represents an $852,676 decrease from the 2009-10 budget of $48,588,935, or a decrease of 1.75 percent. However, the property tax levy that will be required to fund the budget will increase by $1,904,231 to $45,854,902 for a property tax increase of 4.3 percent. At a recent public hearing on the budget, School Business Administrator Frank Ceurvels pointed out that the $2,202,944 in state aid that the district received last year was eliminated by the state this year, and tuition and transportation revenues also dropped this year by $30,000 or 31 percent, but the district was able to save some money by cutting down on mailings and participating in group purchases, and was able to increase revenues from the two monopoles located at each of the schools and from the rental of the school facilities, such as the auditorium and the athletic fields. Ceuvels said the loss in state aid and other revenue was addressed primarily by reducing the district’s capital budget by $1,188,850 and reducing the operating budget by about $600,000 and adding $314,094 to the tax levy that voters will be asked to approve on April 20. Superintendent Lauren Schoen described how that reduction in the operating budget was achieved, pointing out that two new science positions were eliminated, one technology position was eliminated, special education aides were reduced, and two administrative assistant summer positions were eliminated. In addition, Schoen said school projects were cut in half, the support of field trips was eliminated in both schools, the budgets for three of the University Programs was reduced, the budget to rent practice facilities for hockey and swimming were cut in half, and any games at the freshman and junior varsity level above the 16 required by the league were eliminated. She also said that five extracurricular activities were eliminated, and the implementation of a pilot program in technology was delayed. If the budget is approved by the voters on April 20, the 2010-11 calendar year school taxes to be paid by each of the three towns in the regional school district will be $17,363,684 by Franklin Lakes, an increase of $690,887 or 4.1 percent and 1.4 cents on that borough’s tax rate; $10,142,565 by Oakland, an increase of $229,596 or 2.3 percent and eight tenths of a cent on that borough’s tax rate; and $17,384,758 by Wyckoff, an increase of $795,139 or 4.8 percent and 1.2 cents on that township’s tax rate. Those school taxes on a home with the averaged assessed value of $1,280,901 in Franklin Lakes will cost that property owner an additional $173 per year, or $14.41 per month, in regional school taxes, while a home with the average assessed value of $485,600 in Oakland will have to pay $37.88, or $3.16 per month, more in regional school taxes; and the owner of a home in Wyckoff with that township’s average assessed value of $807,400 will have to pay $98.50, or $8.21 per month, more in regional school taxes. Franklin Lakes will pay 38.8 percent of the regional school district’s taxes while sending 25.5 percent of the district’s total enrollment to the two schools in the district; Oakland will pay 22.1 percent of the regional school district’s taxes while sending 31.4 percent of the district’s total enrollment to the two schools in the district; and Wyckoff will pay 39 percent of the regional school district’s taxes while sending 43 percent of the district’s total enrollment to the two schools in the district. The school tax affects each town in the district differently because the state formula the district must use to apportion the district’s taxes to each municipality considers the assessed taxable value of each town and the number of high school students in the district from each of those towns. The tax increases that will result from the Ramapo Indian Hills budget and tax levy in each town in the district must be added to any tax increases proposed by the local school districts in those towns, plus any increase in their municipal budgets, and any increase in the Bergen County property tax rate, and the county and local open space taxes. That total tax rate is usually not certified by the county tax board until June, when all those tax rates are combined to ultimately determine the total tax rate that will be used by each town to determine each property owner’s tax obligation. ����������������� ���������������� ����������������������������������������� ���������������������������� 4-14-10 janine VilladomWebsite3x3(4-14-10) 3 x 3” Rev1 KEANE FIT & WELLNESS ��������� �������������������������� Sheila Keane ������������������������������������ �������������������������������������������� ������������������������ ��������������������� ���������������������������������������������� Join us for Wine, Pasta and Fun! Wine Tasting provided by: Carlo Russo’s Wine & Spirit World of Ho-Ho-Kus Followed by dinner including, Pasta, Salad & Bread Served by West Bergen’s own CEO, Michael Tozzoli Entertainment provided by: Rich Resz Entertainment Friday, April 30th ~ 6:30 p.m. Christ Church ~ 105 Cottage Place Ridgewood, NJ Tickets ~ $50.00 per person That’s Amore` �������� MOTHER’S DAY SPECIAL BUY 4 SE SSIONS GET 5 ��������������������� $250 • EDUCATED MA in exercise science • CERTIFIED Post ACSM, NASM, Pos Rehab Specialist, MAT Specialist • EXPERIENCED 15 years one-to-one personal training 201-341-0183 • CALL NOW Fitness, Weight Loss, Bariatrics, Geriatrics & Parkinson’s Programs ALL PROCEEDS WILL BENEFIT THE CENTER FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH �������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������