How Much Will You Pay If West Morris Funding Formula Changes?

CHESTER, N.J. – The way property tax bills are constructed for five communities that comprise the West Morris Regional High School District may change drastically after a vote in November’s General Election.

In 2015 the district’s board of education voted to place a referendum question on the November ballot that, if approved, would change the funding formula for both West Morris Central and West Morris Mendham high schools.

As it stands now, the district is funded 100-percent by a percentage based on a home’s tax assessment. In Washington Township, approximately 72-percent of a homeowner’s property tax bill is allocated to Washington Township School District and West Morris Regional.

In Chester Borough and Chester Township, funding is similar with taxes being allocated to the Chester Consolidated School District and West Morris Regional. In Each of the Mendhams have their own K-8 district, so more than two-thirds of property tax bills in those towns fund the local school districts as well as West Morris Regional.

In order for the referendum to pass, a majority (51-percent) of voters in each of the individual five towns must approve. The vote is not approved or denied based on a majority of the five towns in totality.

Regional school board secretary and district Business Administrator Doug Pechanec told Patch the administration is waiting for the 2016-17 fiscal year budget to be developed before releasing any kind of numbers that would play in to the referendum vote. Pechanec said he expects those figures to be available by late April.

The budget approved for the 2015-16 school year showed a breakdown by town, based on funding formula, of how much each town was contributing to the district.

• Washington Township paid $14,400,932, or 27.77%. A home assessed at the town average of $439,183 paid $2,264. Regional enrollment: 1,307 students.
• Mendham Township paid $19,414,086, or 20.08%. A home assessed at the town average of $909,548 paid $4,954. Regional enrollment: 411 students.
• Chester Township paid $10,079,679, or 19.44%. A home assessed at the town average of $665,400 paid $3,683. Regional enrollment: 581 students.
• Mendham Borough paid $6,864,576, or 13.24%. A home assessed at the town average of $704,317 paid $3,768. Regional enrollment: 315 students.
• Chester Borough paid $2,132,052, or 4.11%. A home assessed at the town average of $473,372 paid $2,333. Regional enrollment: 95 students.

Chester Township and both Mendhams had assessment decreases between 2014 and 2015, while Washington Township’s average assessment rose $2,316, and Chester Borough’s average assessment rose $10,411.

The per pupil budget figures for the current school year averaged $16,620 per student.

The next board of education meeting is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 8 at West Morris Mendham High School with a start time of 7 p.m.