Schools

Matawan Aberdeen BOE Passes Tentative Budget

It will be reviewed by the county and then a public hearing will be held

A tentative budget was passed by the Matawan Aberdeen Board of Education at their regular action meeting Monday night.

The budget is not final and James Strimple, the board's business adminstrator, explained there are still multiple steps before the 2012-13 budget is finalized.

"It is tentative; it is not final. The action this meeting will authorize the administration to present the budget to the county office," Strimple said.

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After it is reviewed by Monmouth County's school administration, it will be available to the public (check back to Patch to see a copy) and a public hearing on the budget will be held in March. The tentative budget contains a 1.5% increase in the tax levy, Strimple said.

Strimple also explained that Gov. Chris Christie's budget calls for an additional $869,000 in aid, a 7.7% increase, to Matawan Aberdeen.

Find out what's happening in Matawan-Aberdeenwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

"Since we did not receive this information until late Thursday, we did not have sufficient time analyzing how the board should use this. However, I have provided to the board a listing of how at this time the money is going to be used," Strimple said.

He said that the board must prepare to pay for a new mandated teacher evaluation program for the 2013-14 school year, and planning for that in 2012-13 would cost the district an estimated $100,000. The district must also fund about $104,000 in capital improvements and about $10,000 to send a student to a charter school. Of the $869,000, he also recommends that the board add slightly above $153,000 to the health benefit line item.

The public hearing will take place at the March 26 Board of Education meeting at Cambridge Park School at 7 p.m.


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