Phillipsburg Council reduces school district tax rate by one penny with $90,000 cut

The Phillipsburg School District will be scouring the budget to eliminate $90,000 from the $51 million budget after council's demands Tuesday night -- saving the average homeowner about $16 in school taxes next year.

Voters' rejection of the school district's $8.5 million proposed tax levy, or the amount of revenue the district wanted to raise in property taxes, put the budget in the hands of town council. Town officials can order reductions in the tax proposal and recommend where it can come out of the budget.

Ultimately, however, school district officials decide how to absorb the hit.

The $90,000 cut should equate to about 1 cent off the district's tax rate of 88 cents per $100 of assessed value. The average Phillipsburg resident with a home assessed at $152,515 expected to pay $195 more in taxes under the proposed budget, but with council's reduction they should see that figure reduced to $175.

Councilman James P. Stettner suggested the $90,000 cut be made without layoffs, but Superintendent Mark B. Miller would not rule out the possibility.

"We have to find that $90,000 in the budget," Miller said. "We need to find exactly where to cut."

Some residents complained that cut wasn't deep enough.

"Ninety thousand dollars is spitting in the ocean. The people in the town rejected the budget and looked to the council to make cuts," Resident Tom Bush said.

Council President David DeGerolamo said council wanted make cuts without hurting students in the district. Miller cautioned that some elementary school classes were already operating with full classrooms of between 25 and 28 students.

"Bigger class sizes hurt our children’s learning," DeGerolamo said. "We cannot afford to do that to the children of this town."

Over the course of the last three years, the Phillipsburg School District has reduced spending by $15.5 million and cut 122 positions. Administrative restructuring within that time period has reduced administrative spending by close to $1 million.

"We're trying to move things forward. We don't want to move it backward," Miller said.