Schools

West Deptford School Board Approves Tentative Budget

The county superintendent will now weigh in, before the budget is finalized at the end of March.

The first step in the annual school budget dance is complete.

The West Deptford Board of Education approved a tentative budget of $43,175,595 for 2011-2012 Monday night, which will now be sent to the county superintendent for recommendations on any changes.

“The budget is not finalized,” district Superintendent Kevin Kitchenman told members of the public at the meeting Monday night. “It’s still a working document.”

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The budget includes a total tax levy of $29,730,495 for the general fund and debt service, an increase of about 1.89 percent over last year, within the state-mandated property tax cap instituted this year.

The district is set to receive an additional $413,794 from the state under Gov. Chris Christie’s proposed budget, which Kitchenman was quick to point out that, while an increase from last year, is still $1.65 million less than the state provided in 2009-2010.

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

Once the budget comes back from the county superintendent, the board will hold a public budget workshop meeting, which is tentatively scheduled for March 12, though an official time hasn’t been set, Kitchenman said.

The finalized budget will be presented and voted on at the school board’s regular March 28 meeting, before going to the public at the annual school election April 27.


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