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Board hears proposed 2025-26 budget; capital HVAC work and tax impacts highlighted
Summary
Business administrator Cynthia Kirk presented the proposed 2025-26 budget including a $1.6 million rooftop unit replacement at Pascack Valley High School funded from capital reserve, a projected $69.9 million in revenue, a $59.66 million tax levy and town-by-town tax-impact estimates.
The Pascack Valley Regional High School District on April 28 held a public budget hearing on its proposed 2025-26 budget. Cynthia Kirk, the district's presenter, outlined revenue sources, major expenditures and a single capital project planned for the year.
Kirk said the district plans one major capital project in 2025-26: replacement of the media-center rooftop unit at Pascack Valley High School at a cost of $1,600,000, to be funded by a withdrawal from the district's capital reserve. She told the board the county office had approved the tentative budget and that the board would set the final budget for the board of education vote that evening.
Kirk presented high-level revenue and expenditure figures from the slides she displayed. She reported total revenue of about $69,900,000 and a tax levy including debt service of $59,659,002.99. She said 85% of district revenue comes from the local tax levy (including debt service) and that federal and state aid account for about 6% of the budget, roughly $4 million. The district is budgeting a tuition-revenue increase of $767,000 (about 1% of total revenue) and miscellaneous revenue of about $843,000.
On the expenditure side, Kirk said instruction (regular programs) is budgeted at roughly $19.5 million, employee benefits at about $10.3 million, and salaries were shown as about $36.3 million (approximately 54% of total costs). She noted capital outlay includes the $1.6 million HVAC project and that the district expects a utilities increase of about 17% in the coming year.
Kirk explained that the proposed 2025-26 budget amount shown on slides was $57,582,003.99, a 3.42% increase over the prior year that incorporates a health-care adjustment allowed by law. She also walked through the tax-share percent allocations used to apportion the levy among the district's sending municipalities: Hillsdale at 22.745% and Montvale at 26.683%, with a slide showing estimated tax impacts for an average assessed home in each municipality.
Board members asked for a copy of the presentation; Kirk agreed to provide it. No final budget vote was recorded in the transcript during the open session; the item was presented for public hearing and set for the board's formal vote per the stated calendar.
Kirk closed by identifying curricular and program priorities included in the tentative budget such as a pilot honors music course, expanded career-counseling supports, supplemental ELL services, professional development and expanded use of AI tools in instruction.
