Gloucester NEws

Gloucester County Public Schools Seeks More Funds

Editor Andrew Casteneda

Gloucester County Public Schools recently requested $3.6 million in additional local tax funding for the 2019-2020 school year. If all school board requests were to be met, the Gloucester County Public Schools would operate at a budget of $80.7 million. This substantial increase, however, was instead met with a short increase of $820 thousand and no increase to local tax rate.

Already, Gloucester schools draw $25.7 million from local taxpayers; this additional $3.6 million would bring the local tax rate up to $29.2 million. Gloucester County School Superintendent Walter Clemons stated his ideal operating budget is somewhere around $80.7 million as compared to the current budget of $66.8 million.

The purpose of such an increase would primarily move to increase teacher salaries to competitive rates in both the state and country, a feat the current budget is already pushing to accomplish, accompanied by a $1.2 million health insurance increase for teachers and staff.

This significant increase, however, did not take place. The approved budget increase was instead set to $820 thousand with no increase to local tax rate. The foremost motion of the budget is still expected to revolve around increase of employee salary and health insurance, cost of living insurances.

This shortage of increased funding does see to the aiding of other county-run assets, however. Because the whole $3.6 million will not be allocated to county schools, funding opportunity for organizations such as volunteer fire and rescue, animal control, and the Gloucester-Mathews Humane Society.

The final budget for the 2019-2020 school year will be decided on April 15. The school board will adopt the decided budget in May.