Superintendent outlines multimillion-dollar shortfall, asks community to support March 11 special election

Superintendent Dr. McGahn told the Flemington-Raritan Regional School District Board of Education that the district faces a significant budget shortfall driven by the state S2 funding formula, the end of ESSER pandemic relief funds and rising salary and benefit costs.

Dr. McGahn said district enrollment has continued to grow and reported 3,291 students across six school buildings, and she highlighted demographic and program details used in state funding calculations. "We are asking our community. Help us. Get us up from 2% to a higher percentage so that we can keep our teachers that are so valuable for us," Dr. McGahn said, describing a proposed special election question that would raise the district tax levy above the 2% cap. The board set a special election for March 11; a town hall on the question is scheduled for the preceding week.

Why it matters: Dr. McGahn said the district has relied on one-time funds and prior-year surpluses for years but that surplus carryover is now exhausted. She described seven years of funding shortfalls since she became superintendent, including the end of American Rescue Plan/ESSER funds that had paid for 1:1 devices and other pandemic-era expenses. She said the district received preschool expansion awards — $1.2 million in the first year and $2.2 million in the second year — which support preschool staffing but do not replace general operating aid.

Costs and proposed remedy: The superintendent listed major anticipated increases for the coming year — operations and maintenance, benefits, and salaries — and said the district faces an anticipated shortfall of approximately $4.5 million. She proposed placing a special-question referendum on the March 11 ballot asking voters to raise the tax levy to a higher cap (the board discussed, and the administration recommended, a 6% proposal). Dr. McGahn said a 6% increase "comes close to balancing the scale, but it does not completely make it balanced." She said the district will still need to consider reductions and difficult personnel decisions even if the question passes.

Personnel and committees: Committee chairs reported work on personnel, instruction and program, operations and transportation, and policy. The personnel committee discussed potential staff reductions, tenure and bumping rights and deferred specifics because budget choices were not final. The instruction committee noted changes in Title I eligibility for Robert Hunter and a plan to shift Francis A. DeMar from targeted assistance to schoolwide Title I funding. The operations committee said it is preparing two budget versions (one assuming the special election passes and one if it fails) and requested a five‑year plan. Transportation staff are planning routes and recruiting: the district's new transportation supervisor is expected to start in February.

Public outreach and materials: Dr. McGahn said the district had posted budget information on the business office section of the website and on a website banner and that the county executive superintendent must approve any printed referendum materials and interpretive statements before distribution. The board urged residents to attend the town hall to ask questions. A member of the public, Kent Davis of Raritan Township, urged the district to ensure accurate information is visible in community social‑media groups and suggested the district or volunteers post factual materials there.

Votes at a glance • Approval of minutes (executive session Dec. 19; regular meetings Dec. 19 and Jan. 6) — motion approved; roll call unanimous. • Approval of board secretary and treasurer report for December 2020 — motion approved; roll call unanimous. • Personnel items (motions 1–16, including resignations, hires and substitute recommendations) — motion approved; roll call unanimous. • Instruction and program items (motions 1–3) — motion approved; roll call unanimous. • Operations and transportation items (motions 1–8) — motion approved; roll call unanimous. • Policy items (motions 1–3) — motion approved; roll call unanimous. • Miscellaneous action item number 1 (two hib items) — motion approved; roll call unanimous.

Several votes were conducted by roll call and recorded as unanimous in the meeting transcript. The board also scheduled a town‑hall public forum before the special election and moved the March board meeting date to allow time to finalize the budget after election results.

The superintendent encouraged residents to review the district's posted materials and attend public forums; the board said presentation slides and supplemental materials would be posted online. The meeting concluded with public comment and adjournment.