Taxpayers in the Greater Egg School District could pay 12 percent more

From the Press of Atlantic City, Breaking News, Emily Previti, Staff Writer

Taxpayers living in the Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District could fork over nearly 12 percent more next year, triple the 4 percent limit on annual tax levy increases set by state law.

Like all school district, Greater Egg can exceed the cap because it applies to operating costs while exempting capital projects. Some of the $30.4 million will, indeed, fund such initiatives, which could include construction and repairs or upgrades for existing facilities, according to budget information provided Tuesday by the district.

The district also qualified this year for a $1.9 million cap waiver to help pay to open Cedar Creek High School, Business Administrator Tom Grossi said.

The collective ratable base throughout Egg Harbor City and Galloway, Hamilton and Mullica townships appreciated enough during the past year to leave the average tax-rate increase around 10 percent, according to budget adopted unanimously by the nine-member Board of Education Monday night.

Students living in Port Republic and Washington Township pay tuition to attend classes at Greater Egg, which currently includes Oakcrest and Absegami high schools in Hamilton and Galloway townships, respectively.

The majority of voters who participate in school elections April 20 must approve the $69.3 million budget, which is about $500,000 less than last year's financial plan.

If they do not, elected officials who comprise the local governing body would review the budget. They could then opt to override the residents' choice or try to work on their behalf toward a compromise with the school district.

In 2007, those voters passed a referendum that raised another $27 million in extra taxes to cover the $81.7 million it cost to plan, design and build the school, which will open in the fall in Egg Harbor City.

Officials talked last year about seeking another, $34 million referendum this summer to cover facility repairs and upgrades at Oakcrest and Absegami.

They said recently they would delay that initiative, given the $5.8 million in state funding cuts announced since the start of this calendar year.

The news never caused officials to consider delaying the opening of Cedar Creek, nor the start of engineering and environmental science programs there, Grossi said.

It remains to be seen how the Greater Egg Harbor Education Association will affect the predicted 43 layoffs and cuts to funding for non-mandated programs including sports, non-athletic extracurricular activities and elective classes such dance, wood shop and others in the performing and related arts category.

Negotiations between the district and association started last summer, when the association's contract expired.