June 1, 2021

ROBBINSVILLE, NJ (MERCER)–Robbinsville Township Board of Education unanimously approved the 2021-22 district budget with a flat tax rate for the third consecutive year.

The adopted budget includes a 2.89% increase in operating budget spending and represents a zero increase in the local tax levy. This budget follows two consecutive years of decreases in the local tax levy helpingresidents andtaxpayers for the 2021-22 school year.

The budget for the 2021-22 school year, adopted on April 27, 2021 at the Board of Education meeting, allows the tax rate to remain steady at 1.6762% of assessed value, with the average assessed home in Robbinsville valued at $378,500.

As part of the approved budget the members of the Board of Education are supporting key investments in the school district that include the following:

• Increase classroom spending and per pupil spending (currently the district is spending $14,318 per pupil; new budget allocates a $14,836 increase per pupil)
• Maintain and increasing instructional programs
• Remediation of possible learning loss
• Adding new teachers and staff to help with mental health, reading and special education
• Limit taxes to ratable growth
• Investing in facilities to maintain good repair of our capital assets, buildings and grounds

The district is also planning to add additional resources to address mental health. “We know that our students and families have experienced a lot throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and as we move forward, we want to ensure that resources are available to address and prioritize those needs,” said Board President, Vito Galluccio.

Other planned additions included additional resources for special education. This budget includes additional positions within the district. These positions include a social worker, reading specialists, Board Certified Behavioral Analyst and an academic support teacher for the high school. All of these new hires are resources that the district needs and are tied into individualized education plans (IEPs) for students. 

The Board of Education has designated three primary goals for the 2021-22 school years. The first goal is work to open schools fully, safely and within the guidelines of the State of New Jersey Department of Education and CDC guidelines. Second is that we continue to focus on providing a quality education for all students and ensuring the socio-emotional learning is provided for students, staff and families that are both virtually and in-person. Third, establishing the goal that all students will read on-level by the end of 4th grade.

“The budget for the upcoming school year addresses many of the areas that the administration has asked the board to focus on and will help our students and the level of education we are providing,” said Brian Betze, Superintendent. “The work done for this budget by our business administrator, Nick Mackres and Dr. Kimberly Tew, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and Instruction was exceptional and has allowed us to find savings, areas of improvement and ways to make improvements in the classrooms. Both the board and I are appreciative of the work that was done to create this budget.”

The budget has been sent to the state for its final approval.

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