Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Garfield board adopts 2025–26 budget, raises tax levy 4.5% to add 20 teachers for Title 6A compliance
Summary
The Garfield Public School District board approved a $37 million-plus budget that relies on a $4.6 million state aid increase and a 4.5% tax levy to add 20 instructional positions and reduce class sizes to meet Title 6A regulations.
The Garfield Public School District Board of Education voted to adopt the 2025–26 tentative budget on March 24, approving a 4.5% increase in the district tax levy after the state awarded roughly $4.6 million in additional aid.
Superintendent Dr. Tomko presented the budget and said the district will add 20 new instructional positions to correct longstanding class-size and certification shortfalls under New Jersey Department of Education rules in Title 6A. "We're going to add 20 new instructional positions ... to the district so that we stay in compliance," he told the board.
Why it matters: The funding move is intended to bring Garfield into compliance with class-size and program requirements for former SDA (Abbott) districts. Dr. Tomko said the district has likely been out of compliance for about 15 years and that hiring will reduce individual classroom enrollments and relieve pressure on teachers.
Key f…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
