High School Taxes Likely to Tick up Slightly for Gloucester Twp.

The average tax bill for the Black Horse Pike Regional School District will increase by $17 if a preliminary budget is approved as-is.

The school board OK’d the tentative budget this week, in time to send it to the county superintendent for review. The budget could change before the final adoption vote later this month.

The district, which encompasses Highland, Timber Creek and Triton regional high schools, plans to increase its budget by 1.1 percent in the coming year, to a total budget of $71,366,016. Of that, $30,645,864 will be raised by taxation.

The district’s three sending towns, Gloucester Township, Bellmawr and Runnemede, have varying tax rates. Gloucester Township residents will pay 51.79¢ per $100 of assessed property value if the budget stands. That is an increase of 0.89¢ from the current tax rate.

A resident with a home valued at the township average of $200,000 will pay $1,035.80 in Black Horse Pike Regional School District taxes next year, if the budget is approved.

The anticipated tax rate for Bellmawr is 52.96¢ and for Runnemede 56.33¢ per $100 of assessed value.

Improving the high school buildings and cutting class size drove some costs in the coming year’s budget, said Jean Grubb, Black Horse Pike Regional business administrator and board secretary.

“To help reduce overcrowding in classrooms, we anticipate adding a few extra teachers,” she said. “We’re also improving each of the buildings, such as working on the Triton because of its age. Between improving the buildings and addressing the staff, we hope to decrease class size.”

The district will also turn an eye toward security, and address concerns such as additional cameras on its campuses, Grubb added.

A public hearing on the school district’s proposed budget is scheduled for March 28 at 7 p.m. at Highland Regional High School. Residents no longer vote on the district’s budget unless the spending plan goes over a state-mandated 2-percent cap.

Do you know how to calculate your school district tax bill? Divide your property assessment by 100 and multiply it by the tax rate, expressed as a percentage. So if your home is valued at $300,000 and you live in Gloucester Township: (300,000/100) * .5179 = $1,5,53.70 in school taxes.

We don’t do math in every article, but we do bring you the news you need to know. Sign up to receive Gloucester Township Patch’s free daily newsletter.