The Margate City Board of Education maintains its office on the third floor of the William H. Ross Elementary School.
MARGATE – Interim Superintendent Thomas Baruffi Wednesday, March 4 presented the school district’s 2020-2021 school year budget, which includes no increase in taxes. The Board of Education approved the budget for submission to the Executive County Superintendent of Schools for his approval before it is presented to the Board of School Estimate for funding.
Despite a steep increase in tuition for 56 students attending Atlantic City High School, a $10,032 reduction in state adjustment aid and planned facilities improvement projects that will cost $522,757, the budget holds the line on taxes.
The $13.3 million operating budget is up $573,234 over last year, but the $10,498,077 tax levy will remain unchanged. The school tax levy in the Type 1 school district has not been raised for the last nine years. However, there was a $25,000 reduction in the tax levy for the 2013-2014 school year and a $13,331 reduction last year.
Homeowners will pay $321 for education for every $100,000 of assessed valuation.
The budget was bolstered with a $37.6 million increase in ratables and by using $1,305,152 in reserve funds from the 2018-2019 school year.
Margate will pay $19,019 for each of 47 regular education students to attend Atlantic City High School, up $2,300 per student over last year, and $33,196 for each of nine Resource Room students. Coupled with a tuition adjustment for prior years that reduced the district’s tuition liability by $73,001, the district will pay $1,119,656 for ACHS tuition.
The board also approved the tuition charged for 33 Longport students to attend the Margate schools and an adjustment from prior years for a revenue total of $894,543.
Baruffi said reduced spending, unanticipated revenue in the form of tuition, a retirement that was not replaced and another replaced with a part-time teacher, health insurance savings, and return of an out-of-district placement left the district with “a pretty good budgeted fund balance” totaling $1.3 million.
Although enrollment was up slightly over last year following 10 years of reduced enrollment, future enrollment projections are too risky for the board to consider a consolidation to one building at this time, Baruffi said.
Until such time as a consolidation is warranted, the district must maintain its two schools, he said.
“If we neglect them, we are not doing anyone any service,” he said. “We have an opportunity now to put some money into these buildings, so we don’t turn around and have to ask taxpayers for a huge bond.”
At the William H. Ross School, the district will continue with a years-long project to remove carpeting and remediate the underlying asbestos tiles, upgrade the security system and HVAC controls, and replace a hot water heater. The upgrades at the Eugene A. Tighe Middle School include replacing gymnasium bleachers, a lighting strip above the Performing Arts Center stage, flooring, upgrades to the alarm and HVAC systems, installation of a new roof hatch and other roof repairs, and replacing two hot water heaters.
The bleachers are about 40 years old and do not comply with current standards. Baruffi said handrails need to be removed for the staff to push them against the wall and could pose a health risk for workers.
“Just moving them in and out is becoming an issue, and the railings are a compliance issue,” Business Administrator Jenn Germana said.
School board President Cathy Horn said the board considers every dollar spent when formulating the budget.
“We are not blind to the fact of our enrollment. We know, we talk to the city often, and to each other, we brainstorm…we want you to know we do the best we can for the kids, the community and we are all on the same team,” she said.
The Board of School Estimate, which includes two school board members and the three city commissioners, will meet 5 p.m. Monday, March 23 at Historic City Hall, 1 S. Washington Ave.
