[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6176372,"mediaKeyId","5348433-da481923cdacd96764ea9936d16f3b4b","parentId",5348433,"title","Hunterdon Central presents tentative 2025–26 budget, board approves proposed budget and capital projects","audioSeconds",3615,"startMs",557000,"endMs",4172000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5348433-da481923cdacd96764ea9936d16f3b4b&start=557&end=4172","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5348433-da481923cdacd96764ea9936d16f3b4b/thumbnail_557000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6176372/New-Jersey/Hunterdon-Central-presents-tentative-202526-budget-board-approves-proposed-budget-and-capital-projects","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6176372-545ae69f0b2b7dae1f3d1e31b1c1253c/orig.mp4?Expires=1775262330&Signature=bM75t6cyKFzYzSxMNuBM496yR6ZVdac~s9pcHxaSz50IvcHGbnfeSO8rLYHZttx2olNEx-K6b0RUFrFVAf159rq-B6dPmVR2IZoZZihztEbkXTgBetCKM9xrzbexIImpngAspdkMLrsfCbmuXvR3iMOy08ho4~7lpkq5I-fnleahNbVULaaJmwU4n71IXYBZL4PPXTu-2WXUslfFi~zEuWEvJHCcYTEXFGmwReu0YdZcHiKosxyipgiDj4CZsJOtOfVP9NjUoL9h2zJ6XmnJhMKy463SORlrRFkkeK6Oil28rvALlOgAQ-BwLQGEp5j9kiWGlqQgCXszMjHrfMNaKQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Hunterdon Central Regional High School District, NJ","date","2025-07-10T07:22:26.093Z","article","Hunterdon Central Regional High School District Superintendent Jessica Candelosi Haid and Business Administrator Heather Spitzer presented the district's tentative 2025'26 budget at the board meeting Tuesday, then the board voted to approve the proposed budget and related capital reserve and maintenance reserve withdrawals.

The presentation and discussion focused on several budgetary pressures and offsets. Spitzer said the district is projecting 171 students will attend county vocational academies next year, a shift that reduces Hunterdon Central's counted enrollment and therefore state aid while creating tuition and transportation costs. \"We send students to the vocational academies and we do not get to count those students in our enrollment count,\" Spitzer said. She told the board the district estimated $10,163 in tuition per academy student this year and that the 171-student projection was a March estimate that could change before August.

Spitzer described long-term declines in state aid and enrollment: \"In the last 8 years, we have lost $927,000 in state aid,\" she said, and reported a 10-year enrollment decline of 785 students (about 26.25%). She said state aid decreased roughly 13.61% over the last decade and that the district received a modest increase this year that was nevertheless a small fraction of the budget.

The presentation listed other cost drivers: utility costs up about 49.71% over two years with an additional 20% budgeted for the coming year; a requested 22% increase for three Class 3 officers under contract with the Raritan Township Police Department; property and casualty insurance projected to rise about 15%; and continuing increases in cyber insurance, unemployment, workers' compensation and disability costs. On employee health benefits, Spitzer described the effects of recent law and plan choices: \"Since Chapter 44 went into effect, our district is down $717,799,\" she said, and explained that new employees must enroll in either an Employer Health Plan (EHP) or the Garden State plan, which limits out-of-state provider coverage.

Spitzer and Candelosi Haid also described budget actions taken to limit the tax levy increase to the 2% cap. They reported administrative reorganization and attrition yielding roughly $180,000 in year-over-year savings, transportation-route adjustments reducing the budget by about $475,000, and the use of capital and maintenance reserves and investment income to offset operating costs. Spitzer said roughly 73.6% of the general-fund budget is for staffing (about 49.6% salaries and 23.9% benefits).

Capital projects presented for 2025 included roof work and infrastructure items, with approximately 40% of eligible costs identified for reimbursement through ROD grants. Spitzer noted that the district's capital-reserve withdrawals make the year-over-year capital portion appear to decline by about $1.89 million, but that such reductions mainly reflect timing of projects rather than operating savings.

After the presentation the board's operations and transportation committee moved to approve the annual travel and reimbursement motions, the capital reserve projects, the maintenance-reserve withdrawals and the proposed 2025'26 tentative budget for submission to the executive county superintendent. The motion was seconded and carried on a roll-call vote with all members present voting yes.

The administration said the tentative budget will be delivered to the Department of Education on the next business day, the public hearing on the budget will be advertised at least four days before the hearing, and the public hearing is scheduled for April 28. Spitzer said the district will post the user-friendly budget on the district website within the two-day window required after advertisement.

Board members and residents asked follow-up questions. A resident asked whether the district can provide a sending-district breakout for the 171 vocational-enrolled students; Spitzer said that level of detail can be compiled and acknowledged it would be useful. Several board members thanked Spitzer and the administration for keeping the tax levy at or below the 2% cap while maintaining programs.

No further formal budget actions were taken at the meeting beyond the board's approval of the proposed budget and associated capital and maintenance reserve authorizations; the tentative budget will proceed to the county and state review process.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board Meeting 3/17/25","oneSentenceSummary","Superintendent Jessica Candelosi Haid and Business Administrator Heather Spitzer presented Hunterdon Central Regional High School District's tentative 2025'26 budget Tuesday; the board then approved the proposed budget and related capital and maintenance-reserve withdrawals for submission to the county superintendent.","taxTitle","Hunterdon Central Regional High School District, School Districts, New Jersey","taxId",49729,"location","New Jersey","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6176367,"Board rejects motion to add regular board-comments slot; resident raises conflict-of-interest concerns about attorney-selection committee",4122,114000,4236000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5348433-da481923cdacd96764ea9936d16f3b4b&start=114&end=4236","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5348433-da481923cdacd96764ea9936d16f3b4b/thumbnail_114000.jpg","/articles/6176367/New-Jersey/Board-rejects-motion-to-add-regular-board-comments-slot-resident-raises-conflict-of-interest-concerns-about-attorney-selection-committee","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6176367-81ea23692b8b646715b38ce3032747d8/orig.mp4?Expires=1775262330&Signature=e748W29BGeqZV9l-ecCBCZApFuWAJO6Bx9-A3f~90P5g~6X-wWdYPcp0dx9qJoUtTmiV3eZxUfhVw35oSKGBFr5j3g2kxzsuXbRWulvpqjIH3whQlgqbBr4ydGTGYoVSm3CtInBisWzjaY60jrDVmkI9rx9fpEWcNxkHUPeYiOn8k4mNIigr6C7b869YfIG6wFHWR~lqQ4~wrBljwSbnwlk9CvAWNX97HHtCR~fuphKOH7o4nqzucrtGHVkyILLO~jKwJNhSmivCQO9U0BQcgQbGrgLQYS~cJTRFMe2PzR080AhtieV9T06XM995hAPQ6V97hBdH9o1Z5Ezs39r2jw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the start of the meeting, Board member Sandra Gong moved to add \"board comments\" back onto the agenda under Policy 0164; Board member Missus Kellogg seconded the motion. The chair ruled the board would follow the published agenda and an appeal and vote were taken. The motion failed on roll call (Gong and two other members voted yes; a majority voted no). \"We have an agenda that we're following the order of,\" the chair said in denying the point of order.

During the final public comment period, a Raritan Township resident identified in the transcript as Adam Pianca (recorded elsewhere as Adam Bianca) addressed the board about a separate governance issue: the president's appointment of a committee to select a new board attorney. He said board President Lisa Santangelo had appointed Rebecca Peterson to that committee and questioned whether Peterson's presence posed a conflict because she had brought petitions against the board. \"I question how this is not a clear conflict of interest,\" he said, and added that a committee balanced with experienced board leaders would be less concerning.

The resident asked why the committee would include two members without experience working with board attorneys and suggested the composition created an appearance of favoritism. The speaker asked the board to consider whether the committee should include members with long-standing experience with board counsel; he said he believed the president's appointments gave the appearance of trying to \"rubber stamp\" a preferred attorney choice. The board did not take formal action on the committee appointment during the meeting; the transcript records the resident's comments and that he was told the meeting's public-comment periods had set sequencing (the resident initially asked to speak during the action-item forum and was directed to the end-of-meeting forum).

Board President Lisa Santangelo did not respond to the resident's allegations on the record during the meeting. The board subsequently adjourned.

Separately, another attendee, who identified himself as a board member speaking in a private capacity, praised a student production (Hello, Dolly) and noted it showcased student talent; that speaker clarified the remarks were their personal opinion and not representative of the board.

The earlier vote to add a regular board-comments agenda item was the formal board action arising from the governance discussion: the motion to add board comments was moved by Miss Gong, seconded by Miss Kellogg, and failed on a roll-call vote; the transcript shows the chair called the roll and announced \"Motion fails.\" No other formal actions about committee appointments or attorney selection were recorded in the public session.","A motion to add \"board comments\" to the agenda was defeated on roll call. Later in public comment, a resident questioned a committee appointed to select a new board attorney, saying the committee composition created an appearance of conflict of interest if a board member on the committee were a party to litigation.","actionData","errors"]

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Hunterdon Central presents tentative 2025–26 budget, board approves proposed budget and capital projects

Board rejects motion to add regular board-comments slot; resident raises conflict-of-interest concerns about attorney-selection committee