Schools

State Increases Aid for Millburn Schools

Millburn will get more than $1.8 million next year from the state - $353,000 more than last year but less than before the 2010 cuts.

As the Millburn School district continues budget talks for the 2012-2013 school year, administrators received some welcomed news Thursday – they will get $353,748 in additional state aid next year, for a total aid package from the state of a little more than $1.8 million.

“Good news, indeed,” said Superintendent Dr. James Crisfield."It's nice to have the extra money but it won't change our expenditures, it will just change how we fund some of them."

The amount is 23 percent more than last year’s total aid package of $1.5 million, but still less than before the 2010 state aid cuts.

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Administrators are in with the Board of Education and will discuss the state aid at its regular Monday night and again at a special budget meeting on Thursday as it relates to the proposed $77.5 million spending plan for the coming school year.

Crisfield presented a preliminary budget presuming a 2 percent tax increase but school board members have said they want to come in under that amount. Crisfield said the 2 percent was a "placeholder" until they knew how much the state aid and could adjust accordingly.

Find out what's happening in Millburn-Short Hillswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The Board of Education's finance committee will meet on Tuesday night to finalize the package that will be presented on Thursday, March 1, at a special budget meeting, Crisfield said. The special meeting will be when the board will approve a preliminary budget that will be sent to the county for review.

"But this is by no means a final budget and certainly not the last time people will get to speak up about the budget," Crisfield said. "There will be many more opportunities for the public to share their thoughts."

Even though the public will not vote on the budget in April because the thereby eliminating a public vote on the budget, the board will still approve the final budget in April.


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