Tentative School Budget Would Raise Taxes 2.25 Percent

The Fair Lawn school district's tax levy would increase by 2.25 percent for the next school year under a tentative budget presented by Superintendent Bruce Watson Thursday.

The $90,983,759 budget would include a $78,882,872 tax levy, up from this year's $77.1 million levy on a budget of $88.3 million, Watson said. For the average borough home assessed at $323,679, that would mean an increase of $93.36 for the year.

Typically, school districts and local governments in New Jersey are restricted to a tax increase of 2 percent increase each year. For the past three years, school officials in Fair Lawn have kept their budgets far enough below the 2 percent cap — respecting that borough residents may be struggling in the bad economy, Watson said — that they were able to bank some potential tax increases for later, allowing them to exceed the cap by more than $800,000 this year.

The tentative budget would increase taxes by $548,500 over the cap, Watson said. They would also use about $500,000 from the district's capital fund to minimize the impact on taxpayers, he added.

The proposed budget would allow the district to maintain their current staff and programs, support the needed resources to implement the new state-mandated Common Core standards, PARCC tests and staff evaluations, resurface the track at Sasso Field, hire four new special education teachers and other staff, maintain the BSI kindergarten program and fund the district's portion of some of the roof and window projects for which they have been awarded state grants.

School officials may also seek a referendum to have voters decide on some of the roof and window projects and on a possible school expansion to create more classroom space, Watson said.

Next, members of the school board will review the budget and may make changes before voting on it.