10+ New Items In Cinnaminson Township School District's 2022-23 Budget

CINNAMINSON, NJ — Authors of the 2022-2023 budget that was approved by the Cinnaminson Township School District added more than 10 new items to the spending plan and only increased the tax levy by 1 percent, according to Cinnaminson Township School District Superintendent Stephen M. Cappello.

That 1 percent is a full percentage point below the maximum tax levy increase of 2 percent allowed by law, Cappello noted. That 1 percent also means the Cinnaminson Township School District taxpayer with a home assessed at $235,000 will have an approximate annual tax increase of $15.23 a year or $1.27 per month, District Business Adminisrator Melissa Livengood said at the board's April 28 meeting.

"That [monthly increase] is nice because it is less than a cup of coffee," she added.

Some new items Cappello and Livengood said are in the 2022-2023 school district budget include:

• one school counselor's salary and benefits (the counselor's primary focus will be kindergarten through fifth grade students)
• one reading specialist's salary and benefits
• one middle school vice principal's salary and benefits (this person will also serve as the school's athletic director)
• one Spanish teacher's salary and benefits
• one integrated kindergarten teacher
• three new school buses (each seats 54 passengers)
• one new school bus that seats 32 passengers (and also contains a lift so that persons in a wheelchair can use it)
• a Future Medical Medical Professionals Club
• a National Honor Society chapter at Cinnaminson Middle School
• a school musical and a TV club at Eleanor Rush Intermediate School

The 2022-2023 spending plan also "maintains all existing personnel and programs from the previous school year," Cappello said. "We're able to add these upgrades rather inexpensively as all of our district facilities and maintenance staff is doing the vast majority of the work in house without us having to rely on outside vendors," Cappello continued.

"We think [the budget] is very fair and well-designed ... meets the objectives of our educational community and being mindful of the tax impact to our public," he added.

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