Neptune Board approves submission to seek one-time tax-levy increase to close budget gap

The Neptune Township Board of Education voted to approve submission of an application to the New Jersey Department of Education seeking a one-time increase in the local tax levy to help close a projected budget gap, the board said at a special meeting. The board approved the motion by roll call and then moved into executive session to discuss personnel and attorney‑client privileged matters; no action was taken in executive session, the board said.

Superintendent Dr. Christina told the meeting the district’s shortfall stems primarily from changes to state school funding following enactment of “S2” and from steep local cost increases. "The burden of funding schools has shifted from state aid to local taxpayers," she said, summarizing the effect of S2. She told residents the district once received about $32,000,000 in state aid annually and now receives about $8,000,000.

Dr. Christina walked the audience through cost pressures the district faces and the budget choices staff and the board considered. She listed projected increases in employee health benefits (about 22 percent next year), a planned utility budget increase (about 30 percent), contractual salary steps (about 3.4 percent), and rising out‑of‑district special‑education tuition, which she said can range "50 to a hundred thousand dollars per student." She also said charter‑school tuition for district students currently costs roughly $4,000,000.

Why it matters: the board said the draft budget submitted March 19 — the superintendent called it a "doom and gloom" version — included about 40 positions eliminated in the worst case. After additional review, the application the board approved to submit seeks a smaller levy increase and reduces the number of positions targeted: the March 19 draft listed 40 positions (about 30 actual jobs), while the newer application reduces that to 15 positions, with most changes to be handled through attrition and an estimated four actual job losses, Dr. Christina said.

The board said it will present the final tax‑levy amount the state approves at the district budget hearing on April 30. Dr. Christina and Rose Della Sala said district staff reviewed and defended each line added back into the revised budget application as "supporting a thorough and efficient education," and that any state decision will determine the final amount the district may raise.

Public questions at the meeting focused on program cuts and services that would be affected if the district cannot secure the additional levy. Dr. Christina said extracurricular and some "fun" field trips could be reduced even under the higher‑levy scenario, while curriculum‑required trips would remain. She said a mental‑health counseling program the district uses, Effective School Solutions (ESS), would have to be cut in the worst case. On class sizes, she said K–3 classes have remained about 21 students while some upper‑grade classes have been in the upper 20s; without restored positions, class sizes would increase.

Dr. Christina and staff encouraged residents to review the district’s line‑by‑line budget posted on the district website and to contact legislators about the state funding formula. Board President Jackson urged residents to contact state legislators and said board members and the superintendent have been discussing the funding formula with Senator Vin Gopal and others to seek a longer‑term solution.

Votes at a glance

• Finance (Document B1, Item 1): Motion to approve the superintendent's recommendation to submit the application to increase the local tax levy (moved by Board President Jackson; seconded by Vice President Thompson). Vote: Harris—Aye; Hoffman—Aye; Jones—Aye; Morgan—Aye; Puryear—Aye; Thompson—Aye; West—Aye; Jackson—Aye. Outcome: approved. Note: submission requests DOE approval; the Department of Education will determine the allowable levy increase and that amount will be presented at the April 30 budget hearing.

• Executive session: Motion to enter executive session to discuss personnel matters and attorney‑client privileged matters (moved by Ms. Puryear; seconded by Vice President Thompson). Vote: unanimous aye by members present. Note: the board stated no action will be taken following executive session.

The board said next steps include receiving the Department of Education decision on the application, presenting the approved amount at the April 30 budget hearing, and forming a stakeholder committee afterward to consider longer‑term options such as facility configuration, use of School Development Authority (SDA) properties and bonds, and other cost‑containment measures. Residents were advised the SDA owns buildings originally funded through Abbott/SDA bonds and that sale or repurposing of those properties would require clearing SDA bond obligations and additional DOE or SDA guidance.