Public questions jump in Woodbridge budget increases even as district enrollment falls

WOODBRIDGE, N.J. — At the Sept. 18 Woodbridge Township Board of Education meeting, a member of the public asked the district to explain a roughly $18.9 million rise in the school budget over the year while student enrollment has fallen by about 360–370 students.

Tom Morris of Fords pointed to finance-agenda figures that included a bill-payment line of $9,538,325.32 on the meeting voucher list and said the district’s budget had increased by $18,915,308.47 since January. He asked the board to explain the jump "particularly in light of the fact that our school enrollment has gone down considerably somewhere around 360 to 370 students."

Dr. Massimino, the superintendent, told Morris the monthly adjustments reflect items that arrive after a budget is prepared and that the district must record. "When we do a budget, there are items that we don't know we're going to receive that we cannot budget for because we may not receive them," he said, adding that the administration would share the detailed bill list with any resident who requested it.

Later in the meeting the finance and insurance committee presented nine agenda items on the committee's recommendation; the board adopted the committee’s recommendations on a roll-call vote (motion by Mr. Tremblasser; second by Mr. Mohammed; roll call recorded all yes). The approval covered the committee’s listed items as presented on the agenda; specific line items were not parsed in public during the vote other than the prior public comment citing the bills total.

The board did not adopt any new tax-levy or budget ordinance at the meeting; members said they would respond to requests for line-item detail by email or after the meeting.