Newfield, which sends its students to the Franklin Township and Delsea Regional school districts, has had a budget shortfall for the past several years.
NEWFIELD -- Borough voters will be asked on Election Day to decide whether to approve an increase of more than $500,000 in the school tax levy. The money would be used to cover what is referred to on the ballot as "a permanent recurring budget shortfall."
Henry Bermann, business administrator and superintendent, said that because Newfield is a non-operating school district -- sending its students to attend the Franklin Township and Delsea Regional districts for public school -- more than 90 percent of the town's school budget goes toward tuition costs.
For several years, Newfield's budget has fallen short by about $270,000 for tuition in the Franklin district, and about $310,000 for Delsea tuition, according to school officials. A normal school district educating its students in town would be able to make cuts or find cost-saving measures in some areas, but Bermann said Newfield does not have that option.
"The non-operating districts don't have the same flexibility in their budgets," Bermann said.
State law limits tax levy increases to 2 percent each year, but tuition costs have risen too quickly for Newfield to keep up. That, coupled with a reduction in state aid, has prompted the borough to seek voters' permission to add a total of $563,873 to its annual tax levy.
RELATED: Election season in Gloucester County features several battles
A resident owning a home at the current average assessed valuation of $176,651 would see an increase of about $500 to $600 a year if the proposal is approved, according to Bermann.
"The shortfall is a bad thing, and there's no simple answer because it's just emerging," Bermann said. "This is one of those unintended consequences [of the 2 percent levy cap]."
The cap, Bermann said, hits non-operating districts particularly hard. Though the sum for Newfield's ballot is steep, it's far from the highest in the area. In Salem County, the borough of Elmer is facing a similar ballot question, with officials looking to raise an additional $645,897 a year to cover a recurring shortfall with the Pittsgrove school district.
Newfield currently sends 98 students to elementary school in Franklin Township's district, with tuition totaling between about $11,200 and $12,000 for each student. The borough sends another 94 students to middle and high school in the Delsea Regional district, with each student between seventh and 12th grade costing between roughly $13,300 and $13,900 per student.
The district's operating budget for the 2015-2016 school year is $3,675,601.
Andy Polhamus may be reached at apolhamus@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ajpolhamus. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.
