Township of Franklin Public Schools
2022-2023 Budget Newsletter
Message from the Board of Education
Dear District Residents,
Our primary focus as board members is to provide a quality education to the 1,300+ PSD, K-6th grade students of Franklin Township. At the same time, we have an obligation to the taxpayers to provide these educational services in a cost-effective, efficient manner.
The public hearing to present our annual district budget will be held on April 25, 2022. This newsletter provides a summary of the proposed budget for 2022-2023. The district’s business office is under the leadership of Ms. Trish Birmingham serving as the School Business Administrator. One of her tasks is to analyze line items in comparison to the previous years of actual spending in preparation for building the budget. Of course the past couple of years have been very challenging as school districts across the country dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic.
This year's budget came with an additional challenge, as our district's state aid was reduced by over $700,000. Given the loss in state aid and the increase in operational costs, this year's budget will result in a tax levy increase of approximately 2.8%. It is important to remember that the Board of Education did not raise the tax levy over the previous two budgets. As you will see in this newsletter, the 2022-2023 budget continues to provide funds to support strong educational programs, safe and secure school environments, and extracurricular activities that meet the needs of our students. This budget also provides funds to continue with supplemental educational programs, technological resources, and funds to support strategic planning initiatives.
The district will face many challenges during the 2022-2023 school year and this budget has positioned us to continue to provide the children of Franklin Township with a positive educational experience. Your dedication and support of the children of Franklin Township is very much appreciated.
Sincerely,
Mr. Jason Brandt
Board of Education President
Visit us on the web!
Email: twalton@franklintwpschools.org
Website: www.franklintwpschools.org
Location: 3228 Coles Mill Road, Franklinville, NJ, USA
Phone: (856) 629-9500
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/category/Elementary-School/Franklin-Township-Schools-Gloucester-County-Official-117718981638814/
Twitter: @franklintwpsch
Budget Q & A
Does the budget include any reductions in academic programs for our students?
No. The 2022-2023 budget should be considered mainly a maintenance budget. All current academic programs and extracurricular activities are included in this budget.
Does this budget include any additional staffing positions?
No. Again, this year's budget should be considered mainly a maintenance budget and it does maintain all of our current staffing levels.
How is the tax levy different from a tax rate?
A tax levy is the amount of money the school district will collect from local property owners to fund its budget. A tax rate is the amount home owners will be charged for every $1,000 of their assessed property value.
How does our district compare in per pupil spending?
The annual cost to educate a pupil within the Township of Franklin Public School District is $17,600. The annual state average (K-6 districts) per pupil cost is $21,171. Our district currently spends $3,571 LESS than the state average of per pupil costs! (Source: 2018-19 Taxpayers Guide to Educational Spending)
What is the district doing to ensure fiscal efficiency?
The Township of Franklin Public School District makes every effort to ensure fiscal efficiency. Efforts include cooperative purchasing agreements, outsourcing of cafeteria services, shared services with other local districts, E-RATE, ACES, Sustainable Jersey for Schools program, Energy Savings Improvement Program (ESIP), and consortium memberships.
Is the district taking advantage of COVID-related Federal Grant funding?
The Federal Government has allocated funds to the Township of Franklin School District under the CARES Act Education Stabilization Fund (ESSER), Coronavirus Relief Fund, and Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Fund (ESSER II). These funds were and will be used for additional district-wide PPE and cleaning/sanitizing supplies, educational technology equipment, summer learning and before/after school programs, addressing student learning loss, providing mental health services/supports, and other activities that are necessary to maintain the operation of and continuity of the educational system.
What is the allowable timeframe to utilize the COVID-related Federal Grant funding?
The Coronavirus Relief Funds were utilized through December 2020. The CARES Act Education Stabilization Fund (ESSER) can be utilized through September 2022. The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Fund (ESSER II) can be utilized through September 2023.