In preparation for submission to the New Jersey Department of Education, the Lenape Regional High School District (LRHSD) Board of Education released the preliminary 2024-2025 school year budget. The total LRHSD 2024-2025 General Fund Operating Budget is $165,699,018, representing a decrease from the previous year.

Prior to the announcement of the Governor’s proposed budget, which reduced LRHSD’s state aid to nearly $4.7 million (a 20% reduction), the LRHSD entered the budget season with a deficit in the millions. This was due to year after year reductions to school funding, the inability to access a community’s Local Fair Share due to the tax levy cap (which has been in place since 2010); and uncontrollable factors such as decreased enrollment, increased costs for healthcare, transportation, energy, inflation, and the persistent underfunding of special education.

According to Superintendent Carol Birnbohm, Ed.D., the administration and Board of Education went to great lengths to propose a balanced budget in this challenging time. The budget put forth includes operational, programmatic, and staffing reductions including not replacing retirements, and other cost saving measures proposed by the administration and subject to approval by the Executive County Superintendent.

“Fiscal responsibility to our eight communities’ taxpayers balanced by our unwavering commitment to our students, families and staff is a hallmark of our district, even during - especially during - challenging times,” said Birnbohm.

Added Birnbohm, “We encourage citizens to reach out to Governor Murphy's office, along with the leaders of our NJ Senate and Assembly, to urge them to swiftly address the current crisis by fully reinstating our state aid. It's imperative this is done as soon as possible, in time for school districts to finalize their budgets in April. There will be cuts even if some or all of the state aid is returned to us, but those cuts will be less severe if our state aid is restored.”

Once approved by the Executive County Superintendent, the district will hold a public hearing of the budget and tax impact on Wednesday, April 24, 2024, 7:30 p.m. at the K. Kiki Konstantinos Administration and Staff Development Building, 93 Willow Grove Road, Shamong, New Jersey.

The proposed General Fund Tax Levy increase of 2.08% and no Debt Service Tax Levy increase results in the tax impact outlined below:

Evesham Township – Tax levy decrease of 1.05 cents, resulting in a decrease in regional school taxes of $26.97 on a home assessed at the township average of $272,848.

Medford Township – Tax levy increase of 1.00 cents, resulting in an increase in regional school taxes of $45.16 on a home assessed at the township average of $330,888.

Medford Lakes Borough - Tax levy increase of 4.78 cents, resulting in an increase in regional school taxes of $146.67 on a home assessed at the borough average of $289,833.

Mt. Laurel Township – Tax levy increase of 1.41 cents, resulting in an increase in regional school taxes of $37.38 on a home assessed at the township average of $238,700.

Shamong Township – Tax levy increase of 7.31cents, resulting in an increase in regional school taxes of $233.90 on a home assessed at the township average of $310,641.

Southampton Township – Tax levy increase of 3.46 cents, resulting in an increase in regional school taxes of $32.46 on a home assessed at the township average of $189,066.

Tabernacle Township – Tax levy increase of 5.26 cents, resulting in an increase in regional school taxes of $145.38 on a home assessed at the township average of $274,369.

Woodland Township – Tax levy increase of 1.00 cents, resulting in an increase in regional school taxes of $17.82 on a home assessed at the township average of $255,200.