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Spending $5 lifillion Conservatively; School Head Tells How

By Bob Shiles LOWER TWP. - Acknowledging a $5.2 million budget means a lot of money no matter how you look at it, Lower Cape May Regional Schools Superintendent Ephraim Keller told the Lower Township Taxpayers Assn, last week that “conservatism" in all areas of spending is, and has been, the policy of the Regional School Board for years. Public hearing on the budget Is tonight (Wednesday at 8) in the high school library. UNDER THE budget* proposal voters will be asked to approve April 6, current expense will total abou^ $4.9 million while capital outlay is $25,000. The district’s current budget was ,about $4.8 million with current expense making up just under $4.5 million and $10,000 earmarked for capital outlay. The new budget — which covers th? cost of operating the Lower tape May Regional High School and the Teitelmari Junior High — will require some $4 million to. be raised thru local taxes collected from the regional's three constituent districts — Cape May, West Cape May and Lower Twp. ACCORDING To the superintendent, figures based on* last April’s tax

ratables and information received from the state Dept, of Education indicate Cape May will support about 30 per cent of the pro^ posed budget, Lower Township will ^pntribiite some 66 per cent and Wast Cape May's share should" be about 4.5 per cent Last • year Cape May's share was closer to 29 pec cent, Lower Township’s was about 67 per cent arid West Cape May contributed closer to 5 per cent. ' k Mr. Keller, outlined the Regional budget at the Taxpayers March 3 meeting. Lo*er Township Elementary Schools superintendent Ed Campbell was also asked to address the group, but he had previously accepted an invitation to Speak before the loeal Chamber of Commerce the same evening. “WHEN COMPARING school budgets, you have to ■ compare similar systems," Keller told the taxpayers, noting that there are only 17 districts in the state with regionalized grades 7-12. "It’s more expensive to educate secondary school students than elementary students,” he pointed out. To prove his assertion that Lower Cape May Regional is conservative in educating its students, the superintendents presented figures compiled by the NJ

PAA Limits Extended

RIO GRANDE - Eligibility for the Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aging program, which provides prescription medicines for $2, has been extended to include handicapped persons of any age who receive Social Security benefits. . Other changes in the PAA program which became effective March i,

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Education Assn, comparing the 17 similar regional

districts.

POR EXAMPLE, he noted the local district’s tax rate is "very favorable compared c to others. With equalized 1981 taft. rates . ranging from $1.10 pe($100 * of assessed valuation to,33 cents, LCMR was 13th with 66 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. Similarly, based on 1980 figures, LCMR ranked 5th in equalized valuation per pupil at $167,256. The ratable dollars behind each student varied from a high of $528,705 to a low of $60,5(51. This shows that while the local district's tax rate is fairly low, there are plenty of tax dollars behind each pupil.

notes the County pffice on Aging, are: income limits have been extended to $12,000 for single persons and $15,000 for married couples. Applications will be available at most pharmacies, at the Office on Aging here, and at all County Senior Citizen Centers. Those eligible will also automatically become eligible for electric or gas bill rebates in the Fall.

■ ■

• In other areas, v- compared with other riegional schools — the'local Ojstrict appeared frugal because it ■was below aver«gr=3m teacher salary cost per pupil and district total expense per pupil ! Regarding professional stak members per 1,000 pupils, however, it was a smidgeon higher than average. Based on 1979-80 figures, the average was 76.9. LCMR was 77.6. MR. KELLER emphasized that while there is an overall increase of 9 per cent in the budget, the district is “conservative in all areas Of how it spends money." He pointed out that six employees will probably lose their jobs this .year because of the tight

financial situation.

The budget breaks down asrfollows: over 60% for instruction: 3.8% for' administration; 5.5% for debt service; 8.1% for transportation; 8.5% for insurance; 1.2% for maintenance. 1% for food service; and :5% for capital outlay. Stressin&jthat the district already has been cut in the amount of state and federal aid it will receive next year, Keller told the Taxpayers that he hid received word earlier in the day the district had bteen cut an additional $30,000 that had . already been budgeted. He said that although he didn't know where the extra revenue'would come from he had an “idea it won't tie taxes from the constituent districts.

ACCORDING^TO school officials, the neW budget doesn’t allow for any new programs,and most of the $400,000 incrase is going primarily for salaries and maintenance costs. According to board member Ruth Billmeyer who chairs the Fiance Committee, there really aren’t too many dollars to Work with when one realizes that 70 per cent of the budget is targeted for fixed costs such as salaries and benefits. This year, negotiated salaries were up by about 10 per cept and fringe benefits — including Social Security, health insurance and workman's compensation - jumped some 30 per cent.

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