Belmar Schools Increase Tax Rate 2%; Budget Tops $12M

Belmar tax payers will pay $49.59 more on average in school taxes annually, now that the school board has adopted its $12.255 million budget.

The 2013-2014 school budget has a tax levy of $7.633 million, which is about $200,000 more in tax revenue than previous.

That creates a tax rate of $0.7395 per $100 of assessed value, which is $0.0145 more than previous. A home assessed at the Belmar average of $339,000 would pay $2,604.18 in school taxes annually, which is an increase of 2 percent.

Belmar Schools will spend $12.255 million, with more than a third of that paying salaries: $4.559 million.

The district will also spend $2.765 million on tuition for high school, vocational and out-of-district students; $1.875 million on employee benefits. The $1.186 million spent on operational and education expenditures makes up 10 percent of the budget.

Estimated enrollment for the Belmar School District is 742, with 569 enrolled in the elementary school.

New in this year’s budget is a part-time technology teacher, a part-time bilingual administrative assistant, and two new clubs.

“We moved some things around, and have been able to add a few things. We added to the office to get some bilingual help there,” said Belmar Schools Business Administrator Loretta Hill.

Superintendent David Hallman said the new clubs are a garden club, and a community service club, which was part of the strategic plan.

The school district’s revenue is primarily the increasing tax levy, funded by an increased tax rate, which makes up 60 percent of the budget. Tuition revenue comes in at $1.894 million, and $1.019 million in state aid. The district is using $286,000 from its surplus to fund this budget.

Belmar schools also received $1.016 million in restricted funds, in the form of such money as grants, federal aid, and No Child Left Behind funding.

The budget was approved without much comment from the public or the board members after a public hearing and explanatory presentation was made by Hill.