Story By: Nicholas Huba: 732-557-5617; nhuba@njpressmedia.com;

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SURF CITY — Officials for the Long Beach Island Consolidated School District have proposed a $5.92 million budget, requiring an increase in the school tax rate of about 1 percent.

The proposed budget is supported by a $5.42 million tax levy, said Roger Caruba, the district’s superintendent.

“The proposed 2011-12 tax levy brings our tax levy lower than it was during the 2008-09 school year,” Caruba said. “We have been able to help keep cost down over the years.”

Last year, voters rejected a $5.767 million budget that was supported by a $5.25 million tax levy.

Taxpayers will be asked to vote on the budget April 27 as part of the school board elections. The district serves five of Long Beach Island’s six municipalities: Barnegat Light, Harvey Cedars, Long Beach Township, Surf City and Ship Bottom. Beach Haven has its own school district.

Caruba said the budget includes staff cuts including a custodian and several part-time aides. He declined to go into specifics.

During the last couple of years, the school board has made several moves to help keep the tax rate stable, including using Sodexo for cafeteria services, which saved $152,000.

“The average increase for the average home is 1.1 percent,” Caruba said. “The annual elementary school cost for the average home is $339.”

Each municipality is given its own tax rate based on a state calculated formula. Below is a breakdown of the tax impact of the budget on each municipality.

If the budget is approved, taxpayers in Barnegat Light will see a $6.24 increase for the year in their elementary school tax on the average home, which is assessed at $779,000. Taxpayers in Harvey Cedars will see a decrease of $13.06 in their elementary school tax on the average home, which is assessed at $1.004 million.

Taxpayers in Long Beach Township will see an increase of $18.02 in their elementary school taxes on the average home, which is assessed at $900,752. Taxpayers in Ship Bottom will see an increase of $1.58 in their elementary school tax on the average home, which is assessed at $526,984. Taxpayers in Surf City will see an increase of $4.04 in their elementary school tax rate on the average home, which is assessed at $673,944.

“The board has done their best to keep cost down and this budget shows that,” said Allyn Kain, the school board president.