Cinnaminson Board adopts $74 million budget, holds tax levy to 3.7%

The Cinnaminson Township Board of Education adopted a $74,000,006.43 budget for the 2025–26 school year after a public hearing and presentation by district staff.

The budget maintains existing personnel and programs, the board heard, while proposing a 3.7% increase in the local tax levy that district staff said would add about $152 per year to the typical assessed home in Cinnaminson. Board officials said state aid for the district will decline by about $632,009 (3%), while a state preschool expansion grant will fund additional pre-K classrooms.

District presenter Mister Coppello opened the budget presentation and said the plan reflects multi-year planning and investments in infrastructure, technology and student safety. “This budget reflects extensive planning, much of it done by our district administration,” Coppello said. He highlighted class-size targets, professional learning, technology maintenance and ongoing facility repairs.

Missus Livingood presented the line-item numbers. She said the total proposed budget is $74,000,006.43, composed of a general fund of $68,057,007.48, special revenue funds of $3,000,009.43 and a debt service fund of $2,000,006.41. Livingood told the board the district’s state aid for 2025–26 is projected at about $20,000,004.64 and represents a 3% decrease from the current year. She said the district is proposing a local tax levy increase of 3.7, equal to roughly $1,000,003.73 in additional levy dollars.

Livingood explained several allowable levy adjustments the district can use, including an enrollment adjustment ($202,008.27) and a health-care adjustment; she said the district is not using banked cap funds and noted about $1,027,007.86 of banked cap will expire if unused. She also said the debt balance as of June 30, 2025, is $33,000,007.43 and that debt tied to the 2014 bond referendum will be paid off by Aug. 1, 2039.

The presentation described program and capital priorities funded in the budget: adding up to 180 free pre-K slots with transportation funded by a state pre-K expansion grant (Livingood identified the preschool expansion grant amount for 2025–26 as $2,000,008.89 in state aid within the special revenue total), refresh cycles for student Chromebooks, phased classroom renovations at Rush School and New Albany School (including asbestos abatement, new flooring, LED lighting and ceiling tiles), replacement of some windows at Memorial School over multiple years, continued investment in security cameras and an upgraded paging system, and purchase of three replacement school buses. The district is piloting a new GPS system for bus tracking, the presentation said.

Superintendent Coppello and staff emphasized the budget aims to preserve programs and staffing levels amid enrollment growth: the district reported enrollment of 2,938 students in October 2024, up from 2,414 in October 2014, a 21.7% increase over the decade. Livingood said categorical special education aid and other formulas changed this year and that those formula changes contributed to a reduction in some aid categories despite enrollment increases.

During the public comment period several residents raised concerns. Dan Silvio asked why the meeting began at 5 p.m. and questioned the size of the proposed budget and use of reserve funds. “Why is this meeting held at 05:00?” Silvio said. He asked what the district’s reserve balance is and whether it could offset taxes; the board response noted the district is required to maintain reserves but did not provide a precise reserve total during the public comment exchange. Richard Diedrich asked whether the district could compute per-school or department costs; staff said the budget is prepared holistically and that per-school breakdowns would require additional analysis. Ben Young asked whether the state-funded pre-K program competes with private daycare; staff described options for public–private partnerships and said the district is working with local providers to place students and that the pre-K expansion aid is new state funding.

After the presentation and public comments the board moved to adopt the final 2025–26 budget. The board-approved motion calls for the general fund of $68,057,007.48, the special revenue fund of $3,000,009.43 and a debt service fund of $2,000,006.41 for a total base budget of $74,000,006.43, with a local tax levy of $38,000,004.96 (and debt service tax levy of $1,000,009.82). The resolution also approved the enrollment adjustment ($202,008.27), a maintenance reserve withdrawal of $575,000 to support facility work, and the district’s travel reimbursement limits for 2025–26.

The motion to adopt the budget was approved by the board. The transcript records the chair calling the roll and multiple board members responding “Aye”; the meeting record states, “Motion approved.” The board president closed by inviting constituents to follow up with staff to discuss budget questions and potential cost-savings ideas.

The board’s adoption preserves current programming and staffing while relying on a modest tax levy increase, state pre-K expansion funds, maintenance-reserve withdrawals and projected local and state revenue to support ongoing capital and operational priorities.