The West Windsor-Plainsboro Regional School District Board of Education on April 29 adopted its 2025–26 budget, approving a total local tax-levy increase of 5.223% that includes a $1.225 million contingency intended to shield student programs if federal education funding is cut or delayed.

Superintendent Dr. David Aderhold, who presented the budget, said the district is “a people business” and stressed that salary and benefits remain the largest budget drivers. He told the board the district faces a $4.7 million projected increase in health-care costs and that the state’s 2% tax-levy cap (plus available allowances) limits how much the district can raise locally without using spending-growth adjustments.

The contingency is part of the difference between the district’s base 2% cap allowance and the full 5.223% levy increase approved by the board. “We’ve recommended building in 1.225 of the 5.223 to be essentially a fund to protect the district should we lose federal aid,” Aderhold said, adding the board would decide later whether any unused contingency should be returned to taxpayers or moved to reserves.

Why it matters: the contingency is aimed at protecting services for students who rely on federal programs and grants — including Title I–IV grants, IDEA (special education), Medicaid reimbursement for school-related services, and the National School Lunch Program — amid legal and policy uncertainty at the federal level. Aderhold said the district budgets roughly $3 million in federal title grants and that a 90% reduction in Medicaid reimbursement was already projected to reduce revenue by about $135,000 for the district.

Most important facts

- Total local tax-levy increase adopted: 5.223% on the total levy; the base 2% cap plus spending-growth allowance would have been 3.998% without the additional contingency.

- Contingency for potential federal funding loss: $1.225 million built into the 2025–26 budget to protect programs and services.

- Health-care costs are a major driver: the district projects a $4,700,000 increase in health-care costs for 2025–26.

- Federal grants and programs at risk cited in the presentation: Title I–IV, IDEA, Medicaid reimbursements, and the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).

- Estimated household impact: Aderhold showed an example for the average assessed Plainsboro home ($456,000) with a district-school-tax increase of $538 year over year; districtwide estimates are sensitive to the final audited “abstract of ratables” for West Windsor and Plainsboro.

Details and supporting context

Aderhold walked the board through the budget-building process, saying it begins as early as May each year and accounting for fixed costs (insurance, contractual obligations, transportation and special-education tuition) as well as instructional programs. He emphasized the district cannot return to taxpayers mid-year to cover unforeseen increases and must plan contingencies.

He explained the spending-growth limitation adjustment (SGLA), which can allow districts to raise revenue above the 2% cap for certain cost drivers — primarily health-care costs and, less commonly, sudden enrollment increases (the latter would require more than a 10% enrollment jump). For WWP, the projected health-care increase exceeds what the 2% would permit, driving use of SGLA authority.

Aderhold described district-specific capital items included in planning but not yet spent: a Town Center roof replacement project (about $3.5 million) and the option to purchase the High School North annex property (also shown as about $3.5 million). He said the district had budgeted those items to place the dollars in capital reserves until state grant funding or final decisions make the spending necessary.

Special-education costs remain high, Aderhold said, noting the district has worked to build more in-house placements to limit out-of-district tuition; he said out-of-district placements commonly cost “over $70,000” per student.

On federal uncertainty, Aderhold cited ongoing litigation and policy questions that could affect funding tied to Title IX and other federal compliance issues and referenced a multi-state lawsuit brought by New Jersey’s attorney general. He said that uncertainty drove the district to budget conservatively for federal revenue (the district was told to budget at 65% of last year’s federal receipts in the presentation) and to hold the $1.225 million contingency.

Board questions and public comment

Board members pressed administration staff on how the contingency would be managed and whether neighboring districts had taken similar steps. Board member Loy asked whether any other county districts had proactively set aside contingency funds; Aderhold answered he was unaware of other districts doing precisely the same. Board member Puja and others asked about assessed values and the final tax impact for residents; Chris (district staff) explained the township-supplied “abstract of ratables” numbers had only recently arrived and could still shift slightly before audit.

Teacher and district alumna Debbie Baer addressed the public hearing in support of the budget, praising the district’s extracurricular offerings and saying the budget “reflects that” the district strives for excellence.

Formal action

The board voted to approve the 2025–26 budget (agenda items 1–3). A motion was made by Louisa and Robin; roll-call votes recorded a majority of board members voting yes and the measure passed. (Roll-call statements in the public record show unanimous recorded “yes” responses from members present during the vote.)

What remains open

The budget includes contingency planning but not specific program cuts. If federal funds are withheld or significantly reduced, the board would need to decide whether to use the contingency, move funds from reserves, or consider cuts in future budgets. Aderhold said the district would monitor federal and state developments and return to the board with recommendations as events unfold.

Ending

Board members closed the public hearing portion of the meeting after the vote and moved on to the regular agenda. Administrators said they will continue to refine budget projections as audited township valuations and final federal- and state-aid determinations are confirmed.