Board approves 2025–26 budget introduction; 2% levy increase plus health-care adjustment estimated to add about $86 per average home

The Moorestown Township Public School District board approved introduction and submission of the 2025–26 budget to the county for review by roll call vote, District Business Administrator James Heizer said.

The proposed budget uses a 2% allowable tax-levy increase plus a health-care adjustment, the administration said. The district presented revenue and appropriation highlights during the meeting and said the average assessed homeowner (the administration used an example home valued at $461,000) would see an estimated $86 annual increase tied to the budget. The board approved moving the budget forward for county review and scheduled a public hearing and adoption vote on April 29, the presentation said.

Why it matters: Administrators said the budget preserves programs while responding to sizable cost drivers—most notably health-care premiums and insurance—without making deep service cuts. The budget will determine staffing, curriculum purchases and maintenance projects for the coming year.

Key figures and drivers Business Administrator James Heizer said the district is budgeting a health-benefits increase of about $2.2 million (roughly 13.4 percent) and a smaller 6 percent rise in other insurance lines. State aid increased by roughly $375,000 compared with the current year, but the administration said Moorestown remains below a full formula funding level. Heizer said the district budgeted roughly $1.5 million for Extraordinary Aid reimbursements (a state reimbursement program for unusually high special-education costs) based on a conservative 75 percent reimbursement assumption.

On the revenue side, the budget uses available reserves in several funds, including a planned withdrawal from the district's School Health Insurance Fund dividend balance and from the Joint Insurance Fund dividend balance to smooth one-time costs. The administration said it will continue to monitor energy and electric supply costs after a regional pricing update that the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities and PJM released; the district budgeted an electricity increase of about $110,000 based on recent bid guidance.

Programs, staffing and capital Superintendent Dr. Courtney McNeely and directors outlined curriculum and staffing priorities included in the budget: a K–5 math adoption and curriculum writing, targeted professional development, two added positions (a K–3 technology teacher in each K–3 building and a high-school nurse with district-wide coverage), and continued investment in 1:1 student devices and aging-technology replacements. Operational capital elements in the plan include continued work on the Baker Elementary HVAC project (with partial state ROD grant funding) and targeted chiller repairs at the high school.

Vote and next steps The board approved introduction and submission of the 2025–26 budget by roll call (see "Votes at a glance"). The administration will submit the budget to the county for review and hold a public hearing and adoption vote on April 29. The board and administration said they will continue to report to the public about budget changes and funding assumptions as state numbers and insurance markets evolve.

Provenance "topicintro": excerpt from budget presentation start (transcript block at 3618.1748: "And, James, I think you're gonna give us the budget, budget presentation now...")

"topfinish": excerpt from roll call approving budget (transcript block at 5829.02: "Can I get a motion to approve items 1 and 2 in section d 1 of our agenda, which includes approval of the budget... Roll call... Miss Arquera Burns? ... Yes. ... Mister Villanueva? Yes.")

Ending The board's approval sends the proposed spending plan to the county for the statutorily required review; the district reiterated that final tax impacts will depend on state aid receipts, reserves used and final decisions at adoption.