Middlesex board sends tentative $46.8 million budget to county, proposes 2% tax levy increase

The Middlesex Borough School District Board of Education voted Wednesday to submit its tentative 2025–26 general fund budget to the county, seeking approval to move the plan to the county review stage ahead of a public hearing and final vote in April.

Superintendent Dr. Roberta Freeman presented the budget and initiatives, and board members approved the finance and facilities items that authorize submission to the county. "Take a minute, and I need you to think about your why," Freeman told the board during the presentation, framing planned expenditures around student outcomes.

The budget presentation said the district's calculated budget target is roughly $46.8 million, with the proposed local tax levy up 2% and state aid increasing about 4.62 percent compared with the prior year. The presentation reported employee benefits rising about 11 percent in the proposed figures and noted that participation in the state health benefits program would have driven a higher increase (roughly 25 percent) but that the district had avoided that larger jump.

Why it matters: submitting the tentative budget to the county begins a required review under New Jersey law and triggers a public hearing process. Board members emphasized the submission is an interim step; the board will hold a public hearing and vote on a final budget on April 24.

Key budget elements and supporting details included in the district presentation: - Preschool expansion and early‑grade investments: the separate preschool program is planned to serve about 75 students next year and remain a full‑day, six‑hour program using the Connect for Learning (C4L) curriculum. The presentation credited prior-year investments in teacher assistants in kindergarten classrooms with marked benchmark gains. - Instructional and professional resources: the budget includes continued funding for Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) across K–5, guided math supports, research‑based science and social studies resources, benchmarking/data warehousing and embedded professional development. - Facilities and capital work: the district plans to use maintenance‑reserve funds for new public‑address (PA) systems across buildings, and capital reserves to fund a new roof, replacement sections at Sam Smith Parker, and a parking lot project at Parker School. The budget also includes a trailer rental for Watchung to create a classroom space and address crowding. - Appropriations breakout: employee benefits were described as about 15 percent of the proposed budget. Instructional salaries and support services remain the largest shares of appropriations; out‑of‑district tuition was budgeted with only two contingency slots for incoming students.

Board process and timing: the board chair noted the county must receive the tentative budget by the stated deadline (the presentation said the budget needed to be submitted by midnight that night). The county performs a review under the state's school funding law to determine whether the proposed budget provides a "thorough and efficient" education; the county may issue comments or require changes. The board will consider any county recommendations and then hold the April 24 public hearing and final vote.

Quotes and reactions: during public comment several residents and parents questioned the timing and the proposed levy increase and urged the board to prioritize teacher pay and contract settlement over some planned new spending. Acting Board President (noted during the meeting as the vice president filling in) said the submission to the county is an administrative step and that the board will vote on the final budget after the county review.

Next steps: the board forwarded the tentative budget for county review and scheduled the public hearing and final approval vote for April 24. The district will also continue to refine line items and respond to county comments between the submission and final vote.

Ending: The budget presentation tied planned spending to a multi‑year district strategy the board described as "Portrait of a Graduate," and district leaders emphasized the April public hearing as the next opportunity for public input before final adoption.