Property owners in the Lenape Regional High School District will face higher annual property tax bills, largely because of a reduction in state aid, according to the district's preliminary budget.
Lenape encompasses several area high schools, including Cherokee, Lenape, Seneca and Shawnee.
The full-year impact on homeowners from the 2023-24 school budget, according to district estimates:
- Evesham Township. A 2.70-cent increase in the tax rate, meaning taxes will increase by $76.45 on a home assessed at the average of $272,628.
- Medford Township. A 1.75-cent increase in the tax rate, meaning taxes will increase by $100.97 on a home assessed at the average of $329,349.
- Medford Lakes Borough. A 1.33-cent increase in the tax rate, meaning taxes will increase by $36.59 on a home assessed at the average of $288,880.
- Mount Laurel Township. A 0.77-cent increase in the tax rate, meaning taxes will increase by $16.07 on a home assessed at the average of $238,200.
- Shamong Township. A 2.58-cent increase in the tax rate, meaning taxes will increase by $82.24 on a home assessed at the average of $309,768.
- Southampton Township. A 5.37-cent increase in the tax rate, meaning taxes will increase by $106.09 on a home assessed at the average of $192,805.
- Tabernacle Township. A 2.51-cent increase in the tax rate, meaning taxes will increase by $92.49 on a home assessed at the average of $274,246.
- Woodland Township. A 2.81-cent increase in the tax rate, meaning taxes will increase by $78.68 on a home assessed at the average of $256,300.
A public hearing on the budget will be held on April 26 at 7:30 p.m. at the K. Kiki Konstantinos Administration and Staff Development Building, 93 Willow Grove Road, Shamong.
The overall tax levy for the full budget will go up 2.18% and state aid will be reduced by $1,175,078, the district reported in a statement released on Wednesday.
"The loss in state aid comes at a time when school districts are mitigating the impacts of the pandemic on the students they serve, and at the same time dealing with extreme inflation causing astronomical increases in supplies and services as well as unprecedented increases in transportation costs and cost of living increases," according to the district's statement.
"It is incomprehensible that elected officials responsible for the state's budget would approve any cuts to direct aid to schools at a time when students need more support than ever before," David Stow, chair of the district Board of Education finance committee.
