Tuesday, March 5, 2013
A revamp of the school district's policy page created a cleaner design to make it easier for the public look up specific documents.
Anyone who has gone to the West Deptford School District website to find copies of school board policies in recent years may have had trouble finding what they needed due to a cluttered design. Now, looking up district's policies should be much easier thanks to a new layout introduced last Friday. Superintendent Kevin Kitchenman briefly mentioned the new look of the policy page during his report at the Board of Education meeting Monday night. He mentioned that the new look was created to make the page more user-friendly. The new-look policy page breaks the board of education policy guide into 10 separate categories. After clicking on a specified category, the user will be given a list of all of the policy documents that fall under that …
The West Deptford Board of Education passed a preliminary budget that included a reduction in the tax rate increase thanks to a boost in state aid.
A bit of relief in the form of increased state aid has helped to lower the initial tax levy on township residents in the tentative West Deptford School District budget for 2013-14. The school board passed a tentative budget of approximately $44.696 million at Monday night's meeting. The tax increase, which was originally presented as 9.90¢ per $100 of assessed value at a budget work session meeting back on Feb. 23, now stands at a 8.344¢ increase per $100 of assessed value. Much of the reduction in the tax rate increase was due to an increase in state aid. Last week, the school district received a 3.8 percent increase in state aid from the 2012-13 school year. The total amount of state aid the school district will receive for 2013-14 is $…
Concerns about a field house's costs to exclusivity swirl as the school board and public press for more information on a field house in memory of Nick Brandemarti, a township resident who died in the terrorist attacks on 9/11.
A large crowd gathered at the West Deptford Board of Education meeting on Monday night sought to have some of their questions answered about a proposed field house donation for the high school's football team. In January, a community group led by former soccer coach John Cobb and former board of education member Edward Houghton proposed donating a field house for the football team to the school district. The field house would be named after Nick Brandemarti Jr., a West Deptford High School alumnus and football player who died at the World Trade Center in the 9/11 attacks. Since the initial meeting, the proposal has ignited a firestorm of questions from the board of education as well as local residents. Brian Gotchel, the chairman for the …
Saturday, February 23, 2013
The preliminary budget presented by Superintendent Kevin Kitchenman includes 9.9¢ tax rate increase for West Deptford taxpayers.
West Deptford taxpayers were given advance warning two weeks ago about a decrease in tax ratables for the township. On Saturday, the numbers revealed a drop even steeper than the previous year. The West Deptford Board of Education's budget work session on Saturday confirmed another huge drop in tax ratables—the number of taxable properties—in West Deptford. This year's decrease amounts to just over $188.1 million, an even larger decrease than last year's $172 million ratable decrease. In that respect, Superintendent Kevin Kitchenman's presentation was similar to last year. He broke down a preliminary budget of $43.871 million for the 2013-14 school year. The figure is lower than the final budget the school board approved for 2012-13, which…
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Organizers want to build a field house named for 9/11 victim Nick Brandemarti Jr., but residents have concerns about long-term costs.
Saturday, February 16, 2013
'The tax rate will have to increase, even if we keep the school budget the same as we had it last year,' the business administrator said.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Amid concerns over the proposed football field house's maintenance costs to West Deptford taxpayers, two meetings are planned to answer residents' questions.
While the goodwill appears present to build a field house at the high school in memory of Nick Brandemarti Jr., West Deptford’s school board president acknowledges the community has questions about the plan. It’s been two weeks since former soccer coach John Cobb and former board of education member Edward Houghton proposed the football field house to honor West Deptford High School alumnus Brandemarti, who was killed on 9/11. School board President Chris Strano said the board will answer any questions before a vote to approve or deny the structure occurs. Cobb and Houghton’s presentation detailed the field house they envision—built from donations and not tax dollars, they said—although their plan may not necessarily be the exact …
Monday, February 11, 2013
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. 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…
The West Deptford Board of Education recently approved a new three-year contract for the superintendent, along with an increase in salary.
Superintendent Kevin Kitchenman will remain in the West Deptford School District through 2016 after the school board approved a new three-year contract. The new contract, which will become official once it is signed by Kitchenman, will take effect on July 1. It includes an increase in salary for the superintendent. In Kitchenman's previous contract, his salary was $142,100 in 2011-12 and $144,942 in 2012-13. In his new deal, Kitchenman's salary will increase to $149,290 in the 2013-14 school year. Kitchenman's salary will bump up to $153,020 in 2014-15 and $156,082 in 2015-16, according to the agreement approved Jan. 28. The schedule may be adjusted in the future, but any adjustments must be approved by the executive county superintendent…
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Interested in West Deptford school business? Here's when the board of education is meeting this coming yar.
The West Deptford Board of Education approved its 2013 meeting schedule at the body's recent reorganization meeting. The meeting schedule will be nearly identical to 2012. School board meetings will mostly be held on the second and fourth Monday of every month, with some meetings being shifted to third Monday in months where only one meeting will be held. All meetings will be held in the West Deptford Middle School library. 2013 West Deptford Board of Education Meeting Schedule
Thomas J. Nocella
7:57 pm on Wednesday, March 6, 2013
I believe I recently read on the Patch that the $9.90 was double what the tax was previously so how is it a tax decrease. Yes a decrease from the original proposal but truly not a decrease to anyone. more ›