Summit approves $86.1 million 2025–26 school budget, funds Jefferson School playground and awards construction bid

The Summit City Board of Education and the Board of School Estimate approved the district’s final 2025–26 school budget and related addendum items, including funding and a construction contract for the Jefferson School playground.

Superintendent Hough said the administration presented a budget “that will maintain a thorough and efficient education for all students” after a compressed process following the state aid announcement. The boards set total expenditures at $86,123,976 and a local tax levy of $76,123,727, described in the board resolution as necessary to support the 2025–26 school year.

The budget drew repeated attention from parents and residents during public comment, with supporters praising maintained programs and others asking for greater transparency about cuts. Jennifer Anderson, co‑president of the Jefferson Elementary PTO, said the playground “has been deteriorating for a number of years” and that her group raised $50,000 toward the project. The boards approved an addendum authorizing a combined funding package—$303,000 from a capital reserve withdrawal, a $150,000 grant from the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs and the $50,000 PTO donation—to support the project and related costs.

The Board authorized awarding the lowest responsible bid for the Jefferson playground to ZTECH Contracting LLC for $824,439.35. The board recorded the bid award and the capital withdrawal as part of the same addendum vote; members voted in favor and the motion carried.

Board documents and the resolution approved at the meeting also list additional budget adjustments. The Board of Education resolution authorized a $100,000 withdrawal from capital reserve for districtwide architecture and engineering fees, added $1,075,192 for increased health care benefit costs, and included a bank cap adjustment of $249,923 consistent with NJAC 6A:23‑10.1(b), with language that the district “has fully exhausted all eligible statutory spending authority.” The final BOE resolution directs that the budget be submitted to the Executive County Superintendent for review and approval in accordance with statutory deadlines.

Board and city officials described the final package as the product of weeks of negotiation. Operations Committee Chair Kelly said the “final budget presented this evening at a 3.94 percent increase is both compliant and keeps Summit school strong.” Mayor Fagan and Board of School Estimate members reiterated that the reduction from earlier proposals preserved class sizes and core programs while lowering the originally proposed levy increase.

Public commentators voiced differing perspectives. Several parents and longtime residents urged caution on tax increases and asked for clearer, earlier communication about line‑item changes; others thanked the administration for scaling the levy back from an earlier higher proposal and for preserving student services including special‑education supports. Commenters also asked for answers about headcount growth, instructional priorities such as reading and the placement of new STEAM positions, and a requested teacher representative for the Summit High School sailing team.

Votes at the meetings were recorded by roll call. The Board of Education approved the final budget and associated appropriations by recorded “yes” votes (members present recorded as voting yes at the time of the motion). The Board of School Estimate later approved the budget and certified the local levy by recorded ayes.

The budget will move next to the county executive superintendent’s review as required by state statute; the district said answers to public questions raised at the meeting will be provided publicly at the next board meeting and included in the minutes.