BRADLEY BEACH — The Bradley Beach Board of Education [BOE] re-introduced the tentative budget on July 11 of $9,181,316, which would result in an annual increase of about $131 per average household.
Increased revenue from added state aid and the tax levy will enable the district to replace old Chromebooks and hire an additional specialized teacher and aide for the autism program.
The district is increasing the tax levy by 4.33% to $6,997,098, an increase of $290,486 over last year’s budget.
The average residential assessment in Bradley Beach is $1,046,893, compared to last year’s $972,356. The borough’s total assessed valuation went up $162,650,400 this year.
According to the presentation, the estimated tax rate for 2024 is 0.393 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, which equates to $3,238 of school taxes yearly. When compared to the average increase of residential assessment from last year, the annual increase per average residence is $131.
The re-introduction comes after a state bill was signed by Gov. Phil Murphy on May 14 — one week after the BOE adopted its original budget _ in an effort to assist public schools recouping lost state funding since the 2021-2022 school year.
Gov. Murphy issued a press release stating: “With this legislation, we are giving local school districts critical support during trying times, as difficult financial realities muddy the already complex process of adopting a balanced budget. I am pleased to provide relief to school districts facing reductions in aid and, as we look ahead, I anticipate working alongside Commissioner Dehmer to ensure our tax dollars are being used responsibly to uplift all of our students.”
The bill signed into law, Senate Bill No. S3081, allowed school districts to raise their tax levy up to 9.9%, compared to the usual maximum of 2%.
Due to funding lost over the course of the three year period, the Bradley Beach School District was allowed to raise its tax levy up to 8.7%, due to the amount of funds lost over the period of years included. Board Administrator David Tonzola revealed during the reintroduction presentation that the district will be raising the levy only 4.33%, with a total levy of $209,486.
“The state looked at the amount of money that was withdrawn from state aid starting in the year 2021-2022 and going all the way to what the decrease in state aid was in the 2024-2025 school year and added those numbers up,” Tonzola explained during the presentation.
According to Tonzola, the additional 2.33% raised, equating to an additional $156,354, will be put towards implementing a program for students with autism for the upcoming school year. The district will be working with the state in formation of the program and will be adding a full-time specialized teacher as well as a paraprofessional to conduct the program.
This new program, according to Superintendent/Principal Michael Heidelberg is about “right-sizing” school staff to accommodate current Bradley Beach Elementary School students’ needs.
In addition to raising the levy, the bill signed by Gov. Murphy allowed certain eligible school districts to regain 45% of their lost state aid from the 2024-2025 school year. According to Tonzola, this allowed the BOE to receive $23,000 which will be put towards replacing the school’s “outdated” Chromebook stock.
The second hearing on the reintroduced budget is scheduled to be held on July 25 at 3 p.m. at the Bradley Beach Elementary School.
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