Cinnaminson Board adopts $70.34 million 2024–25 budget; tax levy rises 2.48%

The Cinnaminson Township School District Board of Education on April 25, 2024 adopted a $70,336,270 budget for the 2024–25 school year that raises the local tax levy by 2.48 percent, district officials said.

“The total proposed budget for the 24–25 school year is 70 mil 336 270,” said Mrs. Livingood during the public hearing presentation, summarizing the district’s revenue and appropriation picture. The budget package combines the general fund, a special‑revenue (grant) fund and debt service.

The budget increases state aid by roughly $1.7 million, officials said, while the proposed tax levy increase — including bank‑cap and adjustments — is projected to raise about $866,865 locally and translate to an approximate $99 per‑year increase for the average assessed home in Cinnaminson (about $235,600). Mrs. Livingood said the debt‑service balance stood at about $36,438,750 as of June 30, 2024 and that debt‑service aid is applied against that obligation.

Why it matters: Board presenters said the package is intended to preserve programs and personnel while addressing growth pressures and maintenance needs. “Everything that we are proposing tonight is in line with this mission,” Mr. Capello said, framing the budget around the district’s mission and multi‑year planning.

Major allocations and priorities described in the hearing included targeted staffing increases to address class‑size growth, investment in technology and safety systems, purchases of three school buses with lifts, and phased facility work. Mr. Capello told the board the district has seen roughly 20 percent student population growth in recent years and has planned additions such as new kindergarten and lower‑grade sections, a special‑education teacher at Rush School, a middle‑school social‑studies hire and a high‑school math hire to manage projected class sizes.

Transportation and facilities: The district said it plans to buy three buses (a 16‑passenger, a 25‑passenger and a 40‑passenger bus), each equipped with accessibility lifts, and to continue in‑house classroom renovations (New Albany, Rush and Memorial schools), add learning cottages to ease square‑footage constraints, and fund safety work including bell‑system upgrades, expanded security cameras, fire‑door replacements and field irrigation.

Pre‑K expansion and capital reserves: Presenters reiterated plans to expand pre‑K — the district spoke of a multi‑year goal to offer full‑day free pre‑K — while noting that approximately $4 million sits in capital reserve but cannot be applied to the budget until project numbers are issued by the New Jersey Department of Education and a board resolution authorizing withdrawals is approved.

Grants and contracts: The board authorized delegation of authority to the school business administrator to execute and supervise a grant (referred to as an ROD grant) for boilers and domestic hot‑water‑heater work and approved completed emergency evacuation drills from March 25–27, 2024.

Board action and public input: After the hearing, a motion to adopt the final 2024–25 budget (section five items A and B) was made and seconded and the board approved the motion; the board recorded the motion as approved and no members of the public were present to comment during the public‑comment period.

Next steps: With the board’s approval in the meeting, staff indicated the district will proceed with purchases and projects consistent with the adopted appropriation, and will return to the board with project‑specific resolutions when Department of Education project numbers or grant awards require formal withdrawal from reserves or further action.

Budget documents and additional details were presented at the hearing and are available on the district website, officials said.