Chester Schools: Tax Cut For Boro, Rise for Twp.

The Chester Consolidated School District Board of Education’s 2012-2013 budget would cost the average Chester Township homeowner an additional $39 in taxes, but affords a $50 tax break to the Chester Borough residents.

“There is a 0 percent increase in the tax levy.  However, the ratio based on assessed value changed for the municipalities,” Chester School Business Administrator MaryJane Canose said. “So the Borough gets a slight tax decrease and the Township gets a slight increase.“

The public presentation on the budget, held on March 26, held less weight than in previous years as Chester was one of the districts that voted to move their elections to November. That change allows the district to forgo a budget referendum as long as the budgets fall within the state’s 2 percent cap.

The total assessed value for Chester Township in 2012 is $2,000,780,875 down $60,204,717 from 2011’s $2,060,985,592. The 2012 tax rate is .009279, up from 2011’s .009130. That puts the increase for the average home in Chester Township to be approximately $39.  

The total assessed value for Chester Borough in 2012 is $415,040,879 down $23,361,580 from 2011’s $438,402,459. The 2012 tax rate is .00932, down from 2011’s .00940. That puts the decrease for the average home in Chester Borough to be approximately $50. 

Long time board of education member Gary Lakritz said the ratable change of the businesses in Chester Borough is what made a difference in the ratio of tax support.

“The change to the ratables in downtown Chester Borough is what changed the support ratio from 17.79 percent down to 17.54 percent,” Lakritz said. “And of course the Township;s rate is adjusted accordingly to make up the difference.”

These calculations would not include town, county or regional costs.

While the levy may not have changed, the 2012-2013 budget will allow the district to make substantial changes. On the personnel side, the Dickerson School will see a reduction in its teaching force by one staff member.

“We are going to be removing a section of first grade,” Canose said. “But that is based on the fact that our enrollment numbers are lower and we don’t need that many sections.”

This budget does, however, restore the Guidance Counselor at Bragg to full-time status.

“This restores the guidance counselor position we lost during all of those drastic cuts to state aid a few years ago,” Canose said.

Also on the slate for additions, is the hiring of a literacy coach.

“The literacy coach will be working with kindergartners through third graders on learning to read and reading to learn,” Superintendent Dr. Christina Van Woert said. “And he or she will also be working on a consulting basis with the fourth, fifth and six grade teachers.” 

The new budget also has an allocation for facility improvements. There is a planned roof repair and floor tile replacement for Dickerson as well as refinish on the Bragg gym floor and a partial tire replacement in Bragg. The Black River Middle School will see a resurfacing of the roof on the gym.

The tentative budget is $20,795,880 and the tax levy in the budget plan is $18,951,972.

“We are very proud of this budget,” Van Woert said. “We are able to offer a great education at such a great value.”