Flemington-Raritan board adopts cost-cutting budget plan, says 4% tax levy chosen after failed special election

The Flemington-Raritan Regional School District board announced a budget framework on March 11 that includes a 4% local tax levy increase, adoption of a mandatory five-year budget projection and plans for multiple staffing reductions to close a deficit.

Board President (unnamed) told the meeting that "This decision was not made lightly," explaining the board chose a 4% levy after a special election question to raise taxes was defeated. The president said the district was "legally permitted to implement a 2% increase" and had state allowances that would have permitted raising the levy to just above 5%, but the board selected a middle path in light of community sentiment.

The board framed the decision as compelled by several factors: an exhausted district surplus, rapidly rising healthcare and benefit costs and an uncertain state aid picture. "This time and constraint placed the board in a difficult position of having to make critical financial decisions without complete information," the president said. Superintendent Dr. McGahn echoed the point, noting state aid and allowance details often arrive after board deadlines.

Nut Graf: The board says the 4% levy and proposed reductions are intended to stabilize finances while preserving core instructional services. The plan includes a new requirement that the district maintain five-year budget projections and begin planned deposits into capital reserves, measures officials say are intended to prevent future structural deficits.

Most significant operational changes announced include a reduction in Class 3 school safety officers provided under memoranda of agreement with Raritan Township and Flemington Borough (the board will budget for one such officer and eliminate four of the five currently staffed positions) and cuts to a number of instructional support roles, including reading recovery and math/reading support positions, nurses and a part-time bilingual school secretary. The board stressed that Class 3 officers are not district employees and that municipal salary increases (the board said Raritan Township raised those officers' pay by 14%) affect the district's ability to continue funding the positions.

Board members and administrators said the plan attempts to balance taxpayer impact with educational needs. At a committee meeting summarized during the session, district finance staff recommended reducing the operating budget to $70,000,000 for the 2025–26 school year, a decrease from the current year's $70,340,000, and reported a 19.5% insurance cost increase factored into planning.

Administrators also told the board the district is, per the New Jersey Department of Education's most recent notice, classified as below adequacy and below fair share for funding — a status district staff said the county office confirmed is unique to the district in Hunterdon County.

Superintendent Dr. McGahn reiterated the human impact of the choices: "The positions that are listed on this tonight, the positions that were included in the special election, we don't have a say in whether they stay or go. It is a requirement with the question failing," she said, and described active outreach to municipal officials regarding officer funding and ongoing advocacy with state legislators about the funding formula.

Public and staff speakers at the meeting repeatedly urged the board to preserve early-intervention programs such as Reading Recovery, maintain nursing and safety staff and prioritize classroom teachers. The board encouraged continued community engagement and said it will continue to press state lawmakers on funding formula changes.

Ending: Board members said they will continue to refine projections as final state aid notices and supplemental funding details arrive and will meet again to address implementation. The board also passed several committee consent items and a resolution asking state legislators to revisit the funding formula; those formal votes are summarized separately in the "Votes at a glance" article.