AREA —
Boards of Education in The Observer’s coverage area all gained additional state aid under the newly adopted state budget.
So indicate newly released figures from the state Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and state Department of Education.
Not yet known, however, is whether the local districts will apply that bonus cash to amend their 2017-2018 budgets by reducing the school portion of the tax levy.
Districts have been instructed by DCA to consult with their municipal tax collectors and county tax administrators “to confirm whether or not the revision and reissuance of tax bills would be fiscally prudent in light of any additional printing and mailing costs borne by the municipality.”
If a district opts for the tax offset, it has until 4 p.m. July 21 to submit a general fund tax certification.
For those municipalities that haven’t yet issued third quarter tax bills, the state Division of Local Government Services is advising to delay sending out those bills if “fiscally prudent to do so.”
Kearny Superintendent of Schools Patricia Blood has talked about the possibility of bringing back some or all of the 14 non-tenured teachers whose appointments were not renewed at the end of the school year if sufficient supplemental state school aid were received in a timely manner.
Whether that will happen could not be learned as of press time.
Here are the special school aid numbers for Hudson County districts:
- Kearny will end up with $33.1 million in state aid for the 2017-2018 school year, up by $2.19 million from last school year, or a 7.08% increase.
- Harrison will net $25.4 million, up by $41,405 from last school year or a 0.16% increase.
- East Newark will pocket $3.5 million, up by $152,406 from last school year or a 4.45% increase.
Here are the results for local Bergen County districts:
- North Arlington will get $2.18 million, up by $373,262 from last school year or a 20.5% increase.
- Lyndhurst will receive $2.09 million, up by $45,000 from last school year or a 2.19% increase.
And here are the local Essex County school figures:
- Belleville will see $26.9 million, up by $1.01 million from last school or a 3.91% increase.
- Bloomfield will collect $23 million, up by $1.9 million from last school year or a 9.32% increase.
- Nutley will pocket $7.2 million, up by $142,476 or a 2.01% increase.
– Ron Leir
