Sussex-Wantage passes school budget with slight decrease

The Sussex-Wantage Regional school board unanimously adopted the district’s budget for 2021-22.

The $26.8 million budget calls for a $16.7 million tax levy, a 1.03 decrease from 2020-21.

Superintendent Michael Gall commended the school board and administrators on adopting a budget that lowered the tax levy. Switching employee health benefits helped the district cope with a $673,000 reduction in state aid, he said.

The district was also aided by a $2.4 million surplus from the 2019-20 budget due to the Covid-19 school closures last year. The district is also allowing about $200,000 worth of banked cap to expire.

“You took a very challenging situation and made the best out of it,” Gall told the board as they passed the budget on April 29. “You did by the right by the kids and did right by the taxpayers. It was really extraordinary.”

District hires architect

The budget also includes the use of about $862,000 in capital reserve funds for upgrades at Sussex Middle School and Wantage Elementary School, including for the District Air Quality Upgrade project, a window replacement project in the sixth-grade wing of Sussex Middle School, and an elevator replacement project at Wantage Elementary School.

The board also hired Parette Somjen Architects to provide professional services for the Sussex Middle School HVAC upgrades and the window replacement project in the amount of $48,750, and for the HVAC upgrades at Wantage elementary School in the amount of $36,500.

Sussex taxpayers are expected to see most of the decrease, since the borough has seen an increase in ratables. The average borough home, assessed at about $180,000, is expected to see a 2.65 percent decrease in taxes, or about $5.22 in savings per month and a $62.61 annual decrease.

The average home in Wantage, assessed at about $261,000, is expected to see a 0.51% decrease from the current year, which would amount to about $1.38 per month, or $16.56 for the year.

Three additional teachers at the C.E. Lawrence School, two additional teachers at Wantage Elementary School, and two additional teachers at Sussex Middle School, will be hired to reduce class sizes.

The biggest class-size reduction is projected to be in third grade, at 4.45 percent.

The district also plans to buy three sets of Chromebooks to make sure it is prepared for September, should remote learning continue.