Robbinsville BOE declines to apply for $2.4 million tax-levy incentive after weeklong presentation on career pathways and HVAC funding

Robbinsville Board of Education members on Friday declined to authorize district staff to apply for a $2.4 million tax-levy increase under a New Jersey Department of Education incentive program, after a presentation that linked the one‑time revenue boost to capital work for a high‑school HVAC ROD grant and to start-up funding for proposed K–12 career pathways.

The administration presented the plan as a short window of opportunity requiring an application to the county by Monday, with a public budget discussion set for April 29. The proposal asked the board to authorize a $2,400,000 additional levy; the state would add a one‑time 5% supplement (about $120,000), the presentation said. The application would, if approved, place $2,000,000 into capital reserve specifically to fund a high‑school rooftop HVAC project tied to a ROD grant, with the remainder directed to one‑time curriculum and instructional items for new course offerings.

The plan mattered because administrators said the district faces a recurring structural shortfall and growing programmatic limits. Dr. Pizzo, speaking for the administration, called the proposal “a fiscally sound multi year plan to ensure our path forward” and framed the request as a way to “address our structural deficit” while preserving and expanding electives and pathways.

Mr. McCreese, the board president, walked board members through the tight timetable and eligibility rules the district had to satisfy to apply. “We were notified on Friday afternoon at 03:24PM by the county business administrator,” he said, and described the steps: submit the application to the county by Monday, county review and forwarding to the state, then a public budget presentation April 29 when the board could accept and finalize the levy amount. He stressed the administration’s fiduciary duty to present the option to the board.

Administrators proposed using most of the requested levy ($2,000,000) for capital reserve to help cover a high‑school rooftop HVAC project estimated in the presentation at roughly $7.5 million (estimate cited from 2023) that is eligible for a 40% ROD reimbursement from the state after project completion. The district’s current capital reserve was presented at about $1,314,000; adding $2,000,000 would reduce short‑term cash‑flow risk and, officials said, help avoid steeper staffing reductions in later years.

Curriculum staff described a career‑pathways model intended to expand electives and K–12 alignment. Molly Avery, Robbinsville High School principal, and curriculum staff outlined six pathway areas being considered — medical science, engineering and technology, visual and performing arts, computer science, finance and business, and future educators — and said the district would start the work with surveys of student and community interest and phased hires over two to three years if funding were available. David Fusco said the district would explore partnerships and dual‑enrollment options and noted a U.S. Department of Labor projection mentioned in the presentation that health‑care field jobs in New Jersey were expected to grow about 8.6% (2023–2033), which the presenters used to justify exploring a medical pathway.

Administrators and board members exchanged questions over process, equity, timing and community support. Several board members urged more public outreach and a broader community survey; others said the state’s short application window limited the district’s ability to do that before the county deadline. Board members also noted the district had recently run a separate capital referendum (about $4.8 million) that failed by a relatively small margin, and some argued the community should have a direct vote on an added levy. Board members repeatedly discussed alternative options including a later public question and the risks of a “fiscal cliff” in 2027–28 if recurring shortfalls were not addressed.

During the public comment period Robbinsville resident Ed Keenan urged the board to act, saying representatives had been elected to make difficult funding choices and arguing that, in his view, this was an appropriate opportunity for a levy increase.

The board took a formal vote on the single action to authorize submission of the application. The motion to apply for the $2.4 million levy failed on an evenly split recorded vote, with four board members voting yes and four voting no; two members were absent. Because the motion failed, the district did not submit the application by the county deadline.

Votes at a glance: - Motion: Authorize application to county/state for a $2,400,000 tax-levy increase under the NJDOE tax-levy incentive program, to be placed on the final budget presentation on April 29. - Outcome: Failed (motion declined). Vote tally recorded in meeting minutes: 4 yes, 4 no, 2 absent.

What’s next: With the application not submitted, district leaders said they will continue to pursue other options to address the structural shortfall, including further community outreach, potential later public questions and continued review of enrollment trends and federal/state funding risks. The administration noted the ROD grant and potential reimbursements remain separate and that timelines for capital projects would be revisited if alternative funding is secured.

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