BELMAR — After a heated public hearing, the board of education unanimously voted to adopt the 2024-25 school budget with a total overall revenue loss of over $1 million from last year, which could potentially force budget cuts for both the performing arts and guidance departments. Some of the loss was attributed to reduced federal COVID aid and reduced tuition from Lake Como.
School Business Administrator Michael Bardsley, who provided the BOE and public with a budget presentation prior to the night’s vote, said it was “very difficult” to put this year’s budget together.
“In my career, this (budget) is the hardest one that I’ve put together,” he said.
“We looked under every rock and squeezed every lemon, trying to get the juice out of everything we could since November,” Superintendent Jimmy Alvarez said. “This is something that me and Michael (Bardsley) have been working on tirelessly and have looked for every option for funding.”
The 2024-2025 budget supports the thorough and efficient education of an estimated 576 students from the borough in grades preschool through 12, according to the budget presentation. This includes 394 elementary school students, 158 high school students, 17 vocational high school students and seven special-needs placement students.
The total budget revenue is $16,081,590, a $1,158,177 decrease, or 6.7%, from last year’s total of $17,239,767.
This year’s tax levy is a 3.31% increase of $317,067, or an average of $107.55 per parcel of land, which is the highest tax levy increase in a decade. The total estimated tax levy is $9,900,958.
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