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Schools

School Taxes Likely to Rise in New District Budget

Business Administrator William Thompson warns that taxes may increase for West Deptford residents for a second straight year.

For a second consecutive year, the school budget is going to cost West Deptford taxpayers more money.

William Thompson, assistant superintendent and business administrator, laid out the budget realities at Monday's board of education meeting after receiving ratable information from Gloucester County.

“The tax rate will have to increase, even if we keep the school budget the same as we had it last year,” Thompson explained.

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Ratables decreased from a number of residents and businesses leaving the township, Thompson said. The tax base took a big hit in 2012, mainly due to the departure of Sunoco.

The public will get a chance to weigh on the 2013 district budget at a board of education budget work session, which is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 23 at 9 a.m. in the West Deptford Middle School library. Superintendent Kevin Kitchenman said he has been conducting meetings with the department heads in the school district and full details on the budget will be discussed at the meeting.

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The school board will tentatively vote on a budget at its March 4 meeting. The board originally planned to meet Feb. 25, but Kitchenman recommended pushing the meeting back a week after Gloucester County extended the budget due date. State aid figures will be released later than usual, affecting the district's final budget numbers.

As a result of the Feb. 25 meeting being moved to March 4, the March 11 school board meeting has been canceled.

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