Lacey Township board adopts 2025–26 budget; district cites a 9.58% tax-levy implication

The Lacey Township Board of Education voted 5–2 on June 2 to adopt an amended 2025–26 school budget that district staff said carries a 9.58% tax-levy implication.

Superintendent Brzezinski told the board the amended budget reflects the district’s latest numbers and state-authorized options to make up revenue shortfalls. “This is still going to be painful,” Brzezinski said during the presentation, listing program and staff reductions the district expects if the budget is approved.

The change matters because the adopted levy will raise school property taxes for township residents and because the budget includes planned cuts to personnel and services. Brzezinski and the district’s business administrator, Sharon Ormsby, presented financial figures, and the board heard more than two hours of public comment before the vote.

Key provisions and numbers

- The superintendent described the adopted plan as reflecting a 9.58% tax-levy implication; board discussion and public comments also referred to the number as 9.9% in places.

- Brzezinski gave these funding figures during the presentation: a property-tax-based operating levy figure tied to a 3.15% statutory baseline of about $63,000,000; state aid of $7,700,000; and extraordinary aid of $803,000. She also said the district is pursuing a roughly $400,000 land sale and that a line item described as a “property tax application” is about $3,900,000 (this line was presented by district…