Report: Glen Rock Mayor Questions Impact of School Budget

Glen Rock mayor John van Keuren spoke of what he believed to be confusing aspect of the school budget on Monday night, according to an article in The Glen Rock Gazette.

The Glen Rock Public Schools on Feb. 27 signed off on its 2012-2013 budget, which contains no increases to taxpayers while bolstering programs and staffing. The school board , noting that with forsight and recent hard changes, it has been able to realize massive savings.

For the average homeowner with a property assessed at $547,481, , just as they did in 2011-2012. In addition to a flat zero increase on the school budget's tax levy, the local debt service has dropped by $90,000 because of "aggressive" refinancing, administrators said.

The general tax fund levy remains at $40,033,500 though the general budget has increased from $45.5 million to about $48.7 million.

However, as he said at the council budget hearing meeting on Feb. 13, van Keuren said there was some confusion as to why school taxes were increasing despite a touted zero percent increase, according to the Gazzette article. School taxes are actually rising (for the municipal budget of 2012, it amounts to $150 of the $215 increase), he said.

Business Administrator Michael Rinderknecht has maintained that because the two governmental bodies operate fiscally based on different calendars, that figure cited by the mayor actually pays for the latter part of the 2011-2012 school budget (part of the 2012 municipal budget), not the school board budget recently voted for.

The 2012-2013 budget includes money allocated toward fixing the drainage/sports complex problems at the high school and even hires several more teachers and assorted staff.

The public this year has no say on the matter, as the school board elected to move elections to November. The budget, as passed Monday night, was well within the allowed 2 percent cap.

The recently-passed budget has been touted by officials as likely the only one in the state to actually decrease the taxpayer portion while increasing programming and staffing.