Tax-Raising School Budget Up For Final Vote In Cherry Hill

CHERRY HILL, NJ — A proposed school budget set to increase local taxes amid massive state-aid cuts will receive a final vote at Tuesday's Board of Education meeting.

The Cherry Hill School District's budget, introduced last month, would raise taxes by $194.71 on the average assessed home worth $226,922. But the spending plan comes as the district prepares for one of the state's biggest reductions in equalization funding for the 2024-25 school year.

Increasing taxes will prevent layoffs and larger class sizes, which school officials previously thought may be unpreventable because of the state-aid cuts. But that's on top of the tax obligation from the 2022 bond referendum, which raised taxes by $386 on the average home, leaving several residents pleading for lower spending during March 19's meeting.

• Read more: 'A Sophie's Choice': Cherry Hill's School Budget Would Hike Taxes, Prevent Layoffs

The budget's general fund would fall from $256.1 million in the current school year to $251.6 million for 2024-25 — a 1.8 percent decrease. But local taxation would increase 3.6 percent — from $189.3 million to $196.2 million — because of slashes to state aid and other outside-funding sources.

Assistant Superintendent Lynn E. Shugars presented the proposed budget March 19, when board members voted to approve the spending plan for introduction. Here's an outline of the proposal.

From the last school board meeting:

• New Superintendent Approved For Cherry Hill District
• Conflict Of Interest? Heated Exchange Within Cherry Hill School Board Draws Controversy

Cherry Hill schools will receive $29.5 million in state-equalization aid from Gov. Phil Murphy's proposed budget for the next fiscal year — a 19 percent decrease from this school year's allocation of $36.4 million and the district's lowest total since 2021-22.

Students, officials and the district community have mobilized to push for greater funding from Trenton ever since the state education department released figures in late February showing cuts for Cherry Hill.

• Read more: Massive State-Aid Cuts For Cherry Hill Schools; 'Difficult' Decisions Ahead

Tuesday's meeting will feature a hearing on the budget, which will include the opportunity for public comment. The board will then vote on whether to adopt it.

The meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. in the Lewis Administration Building (45 Ranoldo Terrace) and can also be accessed virtually. Here's the meeting agenda.