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Galloway Township board adopts fiscal 2026 budget with 2% tax levy increase
Summary
After a public presentation and discussion of state aid limits, the Galloway Township Board of Education approved the districts fiscal 2026 budget, keeping the tax levy at the 2% cap and using a partial bank cap to cover a shortfall.
The Galloway Township Board of Education on Wednesday approved its fiscal year 2026 budget, adopting a 2% tax levy increase and a partial use of the districts bank cap to close a remaining shortfall.
Superintendent Santelli presented the budget at a public hearing, saying state aid increases produced a net $1.6 million gain but that a 6% cap on aid left the district underfunded compared with the formulas adequacy estimate. "If we weren't capped, we would have received $3,100,000," Santelli said, summarizing materials the administration submitted to the county. The board voted by roll call to approve the budget resolution (item 4.2).
The nut graf: The vote finalizes spending and local tax decisions the district must file with the county; administrators said the package balances classroom needs and fiscal restraint while avoiding a larger tax levy increase.
Board members and administrators described how the district arrived at the proposal. Santelli explained the district faced a roughly $1.5 million underfunding relative to the full formula and reviewed a one-time state allowance termed an "additional expenditure request" of up to $7.5 million that districts could use but which would increase local tax levies. "We chose not to take advantage of this because this wasn't free money," Santelli said, adding the board declined to place additional burden on taxpayers.
The approved package uses the 2% tax levy cap and a partial use of bank cap funds of $315,000 to offset costs; administrators said the combined approach reduced the year-over-year local impact to about $28$30 a year for a home assessed at $200,000, roughly $2.40 per month, and relies on operational efficiencies to cover remaining increases. Expenditure pressures cited in the presentation included salary and benefit increases, transportation, and a projected 15% increase in utilities.
Public comment on the budget was invited; none was offered before the vote. The roll call recorded affirmative votes from Mrs. Chester, Doctor Permenter, Mrs. Avery, Mr. Dace, Mr. Gentile and Vice President Becherra Blau; the resolution passed.
Looking ahead, administrators noted the budget will remain subject to county processing and that the district will continue pursuing efficiencies and monitoring state aid developments.
