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Personnel plan adds three positions; district weighs self-insured health plan versus state plan
Summary
The district proposed restoring a computer-technician position, adding a school social worker and an operations supervisor focused on grounds; administrators also reviewed self-insurance for health benefits and projected a $15.5 million expected-claims estimate for 2025–26.
Director of Human Resources Mr. Scerrano presented staffing projections and personnel priorities at the Feb. 25 budget workshop and said the district’s FTE count for the general fund stood at about 724.4 in the proposed 2025–26 budget, down slightly from the prior year’s 725.41 after retirements and other adjustments.
Scerrano said the draft budget adds three positions: one computer technician (reinstated after being unfilled last year), a school social worker to support secondary social-emotional learning work, and an operations supervisor focused on grounds to maintain referendum-related athletic and grounds improvements. He said those additions were funded in part by retirements, reductions and other savings; the proposed net staffing cost increase was roughly $218,000 while projected savings from retirements/transfers totaled more than $600,000, yielding a net positions-related savings in the current draft.
On salaries, Scerrano said the district’s 2024–25 salary accounts totaled $51,861,383 in the general fund; the 2025–26 proposed salary accounts total $53,049,672, an increase of $1,188,289 (about 2.29 percent) reflecting routine annual contract raises and the modest position changes.
Brian Smythe also reviewed employee benefits, explaining the district is self-insured for medical and prescription coverage and purchases stop-loss insurance that reimburses the district for high-cost individual claims above $125,000. Smythe said the district’s estimate for expected claims in the proposed budget is $15.5 million and compared that approach with moving into the New Jersey State Health Benefits Plan, which would require a fixed premium payment. He said a rough comparison showed a potential higher fixed premium under the state plan and that the district has historically saved money by remaining self-insured, although the gap to the state plan has narrowed.
Scerrano described the personnel-notice timeline: nonrenewal notices ideally issued by early May and hiring to be completed before summer so new staff can begin by Sept. 1. He said FTE decisions will remain fluid during the coming weeks as registrations, course selections and retirements are finalized.
