The Trenton Times published the following article on March 14, 2013. To read the full article, click here.
Trenton school district proposes $266M operating budget for next school year
By Erin Duffy/The Times of Trenton
on March 14, 2013 at 7:15 AM, updated March 14, 2013 at 7:16 AMTRENTON — Cracked windows at P.J. Hill and Monument elementary schools would be replaced and the district’s central administration building would be outfitted with an upgraded security system under a $2.2 million capital improvement project budget unveiled this week, part of the district’s $266.9 million budget for the 2013-2014 school year.
The city school district has proposed a $266.9 million operating budget for next year, down about $308,600 from last year’s $267.2 million spending plan. The budget still draws heavily from the state, with state aid making up $228.7 million of the district’s revenues for the upcoming school year, an increase from last year’s $227 million state aid allocation.
The local tax levy, which was adopted by school board members, city council members and Mayor Tony Mack at Monday’s school board meeting, will remain flat, at $21.1 million. School officials did not return calls on what the school tax rate would be or if the state Department of Education has already approved the budget.
School spending includes $17.2 million set aside for special education instruction, $9 million for bilingual education, $1.6 million for school-sponsored sports programs and $23.9 million the district must send to city charter schools. The district’s per-pupil costs for 2013-2014 will dip slightly to $17,145, down from $17,524 last year. The state’s average total per-pupil cost was $17,469 in the 2010-11 school year, the latest data available.
The district has also proposed a $2.2 million in capital improvement projects, including $325,000 in security upgrades to the district’s central administration building, which would include a new ID card access, cameras, an alarm system and other features to better secure the North Clinton Avenue building home to much of the district’s administrative staff.
Other capital projects include $1.2 million for new windows at Monument and P.J. Hill Elementary schools and $200,000 to repair and replace some of the worn, missing seats in the Trenton Central High School auditorium.
Asbestos remediation is proposed for some of the district’s aging schools, a $200,000 project slated to remove and dispose of asbestos and any other hazardous materials found in buildings.
Contact Erin Duffy at (609) 989-5723 or eduffy@njtimes.com