Board adopts budget with $156 tax hike Special ed. costs, school improvements, salaries drive budget up 3% BY JESSICA SMITH Staff Writer Taxpayers can expect to pay about $156 more per year in school taxes if a budget adopted by the Old Bridge Board of Education receives voters' approval. The total general fund budget for 2007-08 stands at $122.8 million. Though that figure is up 3.07 percent from the current school year, the spending plan has been scaled back by $1.5 million from an original budget worked on by school administrators. The tax rate, proposed at $2.48 per $100 of assessed value, is an increase of 11.6 cents over the current rate. However, the district's debt service tax rate is going down by nearly 1 cent. On the average home in town, assessed at $144,000, the net tax increase amounts to $156. Officials said the increase is necessitated by various improvements planned for district schools. At the high school, new bleachers are planned for the gymnasium, and upgrades will be made to the intercom and phone systems, as well as to the wood shop and auto shop facilities. At Jonas Salk Middle School, a new floor and bleachers will be installed in the gym. Upgrades will be made in order to better comply with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and improvements will be made in the areas of parking and drainage. The Carl Sandburg Middle School will see new lockers installed, and the boilers will be replaced at both the Carpenter and Madison Park elementary schools. Each of the district's 12 elementary schools is slated to receive security upgrades. All of the improvements are funded by a $1.8 million loan. The district will have to fund the $360,000 principal and $64,000 in interest in this budget. Another big reason for the increase is the rising cost of services for students with special needs, according to school officials. Though programs for these students are state mandated, the funding is not being provided by the federal and state governments. Along with an increase in costs, the number of special needs students is also on the rise. The district projects that it will have to send 144 special needs students out of the district at an average cost of more than $40,000 each. Costs associated with the out-of-district placement includes tuition, physical and occupational therapy, nursing services and paraprofessionals. The hiring of six new middle school teachers also contributed to the higher budget. Since March, when the tentative budget was introduced, school officials shaved $388,000 off to bring the budget to where it stands. The school board unanimously adopted the budget last Thursday. Board members Matt Sulikowski and Frank Piccillo had voted against the tentative budget at a special meeting March 1, but Piccillo voted in favor this time, and Sulikowski was not present at last week's meeting. Last year, the board adopted a budget for the current school year with a 15.5-cent tax rate increase. After it was rejected by voters, the council and school board worked together to reduce the increase by 6 cents. This year's school election will take place April 17.