Board sets May 6 budget hearing for 5:30 p.m.; parents, residents raise notice and transparency concerns

The Collingswood Public School District Board of Education announced that its public hearing on the 2025–26 budget will be held on Tuesday, May 6, in the school cafeteria at 5:30 p.m., a half-hour earlier than the board's usual start time.

Board members said the earlier start was driven by scheduling conflicts and the need to assemble a quorum; the board’s School and Community Relations and Policy Committee chair said the committee would explore additional outreach to notify families of the time change. "I'm happy to entertain as chair of the school and community relations and policy committee a different way that we can communicate to make sure that everyone knows about the hour change," the committee chair said during the meeting.

The move drew concern from several board members and residents who said the earlier time could reduce public participation on a budget that was described during the meeting as including a "significant tax increase." One resident who spoke during the public-comment period, Kyle Jacobowski of 401 Oak Lawn Ave., said the district had not provided adequate detail in its budget presentation and questioned whether the timing and notice limited public access. "Option C on your budget presentation indicated that the district could bring back previously cut staff. How many? Why are they needed? Who will they help?" Jacobowski asked.

Board members and staff discussed outreach options at the meeting. Suggestions included social media posts, coordination with the borough’s messaging system, PTA posts on the Oakland Family News and Oakland PTA pages, and a district robocall to households. A board member noted that borough robocalls require residents to sign up for the service and that the borough typically uses the system for municipal notices.

At the meeting the board noted the hearing had been advertised and posted in accordance with the Open Public Meetings Act and that schedules of regular meetings were adopted at the district’s reorganization meeting on Jan. 7, 2025. Board members reiterated that the district must comply with New Jersey Department of Education rules and that current state curriculum standards remain in effect pending any federal or state changes.

The board asked the School and Community Relations and Policy Committee to develop and run additional notifications ahead of next Tuesday’s hearing. The meeting agenda also listed future dates and said miscellaneous information and updated notices were available in the board packet and on the district website, though a resident said he could not find some of the recent postings in the site’s news section.

The board did not change the time during the meeting; it confirmed the May 6 hearing at 5:30 p.m. and encouraged multiple outreach methods to increase awareness and attendance.