Mat-Ab OKs $63.3M BOE budget School budget up 3.9 percent over 2007-08 plan BY ERIN O. STATTEL Staff Writer ABERDEEN - The Matawan-Aberdeen Regional Board of Education unanimously adopted a $63,356,016 2008-09 school budget at the special meeting March 4. The budget represents an increase of 3.9 percent from last year. The district spending plan calls for a tax levy of $46,805,204, up 2 percent from last year for the residents of Matawan and Aberdeen. According to Business Administrator Susan Irons, more complete data on how much the budget would increase the tax bill of the owner of an average home will be available at the public hearing on the budget today at 8 p.m. in the Administrative Building on Crest Way in Aberdeen. According to Schools Superintendent Richard O'Malley, the total budget increase of $2,445,377 represents increases in the largest areas of education costs: transportation that would increase 2 percent to $89,509, and special education up 15 percent to $633,302. Instruction costs in the proposed budget are $3,328,466. O'Malley cited the increasing costs in areas such as salaries, utilities, transportation and special education as the major contributing factors to the increase. "The tighter the budget, the harder it is to make revenue balances each year," O'Malley said. "I think this is going to be a very good budget, and I'm going out to say that this is the fair share that taxpayers can feel confident they can support." O'Malley noted that this year the executive county superintendent has authority to veto any line item on the proposed budget. He also made reference to the 2007- 08 budget, which proposed a 19-cent increase in the school tax rate and was voted down. "We are trying to control the tax levy, but there are some things we cannot control, such as the rising cost of living," he said. The superintendent outlined some of the district's goals for the next year as maintaining class size, adding curriculum initiatives, offering professional development for staff, upgrading technology and adding an additional bus to the fleet. The Matawan-Aberdeen Regional School District is made up of seven schools with a total enrollment of 3,755 pupils. According to Irons, the student-toteacher ratio for fall 2006 was 10.4:1 and the annual median income for teachers during the 2006-07 school year was $54,440. For administrators, it was an annual median income of $115,224. Residents can cast their vote April 15 from 1-9 p.m.