Flemington-Raritan superintendent outlines state aid gain, urges vote on $2.3 million levy increase

Superintendent McGahn told the Flemington-Raritan Regional School District Board of Education on the evening of the meeting that the district’s state aid award for the upcoming school year increased by $365,749, a 6% rise over the prior year, and outlined a March 11 vote asking residents to approve a $2.3 million increase in the tax levy to maintain staffing and programs.

The superintendent led her report by giving an enrollment update — “we have 3,331 students as of our enrollment today,” she said — then presented the aid figures and related budget context. She said total preschool aid for the district is $2,721,930 and that districts receive preschool funding based on regular-education preschool enrollment; special-education preschool students remain the district’s financial responsibility. McGahn urged the public to “sift through the facts” and vote on March 11.

The superintendent and several board members stressed that, while the $365,749 increase is positive, it represents a small fraction of the district’s overall budget. “When you use terms like a 6% increase, in reality we have an $80,000,000 budget and that $365,000 is only less than a 0.5% increase in our total budget,” a board member said during discussion.

Why it matters: McGahn and board members said the levy request is intended to preserve instructional staff, school safety and extracurriculars that would otherwise face cuts. The district is asking voters to approve a levy increase of $2,300,000 to keep 30 teachers, retain a Class III officer in every school, and maintain JV sports at J.P. Case Middle School. McGahn described the consequences if the vote fails: “If the vote doesn't pass, we have to eliminate those positions and JV sports and we will not have a class 3 officer in every school.”

Board members provided additional context: the district has seen a 125% increase in multilingual learners from 2018 to 2024; salaries and benefits are the largest portion of the budget; and maintaining smaller elementary class sizes is a priority. McGahn and Ms. Dawson (board secretary) also reviewed transparency measures: the board approves a monthly bills list and reconciles its books with an independent treasurer, and financial reports are available on the district website.

Transportation and federal funding: McGahn said the district is working to renew a shared-services transportation agreement with Hunterdon Central (referred to in the meeting as the partner) and has hired a transportation supervisor to oversee routes. On federal ESSER and American Rescue Plan (ARP) spending, a board member noted the district purchased Zoom accounts during the pandemic and still retains a limited number of those licences for recordings and webinars; some services have moved to Google Meet.

Votes at a glance: The board approved routine procedural and financial items during the meeting. Roll-call votes were unanimous where recorded.

- Approval of minutes (Feb. 13 executive session and regular meeting): approved by roll call (Ms. Arcey; Dr. Bentley; Dr. Bucklechner; Mr. Cirillo; Ms. Cristotello; Mr. Owen; Ms. Whitley; Mr. Birkenstock — all recorded “yes”). - Report of the Board Secretary and Treasurer of School Monies for January 2025: motion and second recorded; approved by roll call (same recorded yes votes). - Personnel items (agenda items 1–13): moved and seconded; approved by roll call (same recorded yes votes). - Operations/Transportation items (agenda items 1–4): moved and seconded; approved by roll call (same recorded yes votes). - Harassment/Intimidation/Bullying (HIB) report: district reported zero HIB incidents for the month; the board moved action item to record a “no HIB” finding and approved it by roll call (same recorded yes votes).

The meeting also included a second reading and approval of a new policy recognizing student achievement and the board’s regular monthly approvals of bills and reconciliations. A board member reminded the public that midyear and year-end treasurer reports are submitted to the county and that all financial items are public record and available on the district website.

Ending: Board leadership and the superintendent encouraged residents to review the posted financial materials and to vote on March 11. McGahn closed her report with recognition of students performing in J.P. Case’s production of The Wizard of Oz and invited the community to attend opening night.