District instructional leaders presented budget materials for elementary and secondary instruction, career and technical education and human resources at the Gloucester County School Board work session on Oct. 28.

Presenters, including Doctor Amy Stamm (elementary) and Doctor Migas (secondary), said salaries and benefits account for the largest share of both elementary and secondary instructional budgets. Contracted services—examples cited included WHRO and NWEA testing platforms—and central classroom resources, including online textbook subscriptions and professional learning, are the next largest spending categories. Staff said many K–12 materials are now online subscriptions rather than printed textbooks and that Title I funds currently support some elementary classroom supplies and genre/nonfiction books used for cross-curricular instruction.

Board members asked whether textbook inventories and replacement cycles are up to date. Staff said many physical textbooks are outdated and that a state change in curriculum standards (particularly in math) could prompt a future, and potentially unfunded, textbook-adoption cycle. Staff described an ongoing effort to create a comprehensive inventory and prioritize replacements; they said the division had invested in online materials and one-to-one devices rather than a broad textbook replacement this year.

On secondary budgets, staff reiterated that textbook purchases happen for targeted needs (dual enrollment, AP courses, new languages) and that many materials remain subscription-based. The board asked whether budget lines were increased from the prior year; staff said most categories were level-funded following a prior fiscal adjustment but stressed the need to advocate for additional funding.

The career and technical education (CTE) presentation described local budget lines and an estimated federal Perkins grant amount (staff said the estimate had been received but federal/state reimbursement timing can vary). Staff enumerated program needs—equipment, credentialing exam fees, and supplies ranging from automotive and construction materials to culinary and cosmetology supplies. The district pays certain tuition or program fees to the regional New Horizons program; presenters said the CTE portion of payments to New Horizons appeared on the CTE slide at about $187,661, and that the larger special-education portion paid to New Horizons in the full budget year was roughly in the nine-hundred-thousand-dollar range (special-education payments were described separately). Staff said current participation at New Horizons ranges roughly 19–25 students, varying by semester, and noted the district has discussed expanding local CTE capacity to reduce tuition outflows.

Board members asked whether Perkins and other federal grants were secure; staff said the state had indicated the district would receive its full Perkins allocation for the year though state and federal reimbursement timing had been slow.

On human resources, staff said the HR budget likewise is dominated by salaries and benefits, with contracted services covering onboarding needs such as background checks and some tuition assistance. Staff identified priorities to increase employee recognition, wellness and retention supports in future budgets.

Board discussion raised operational questions and follow-up actions: staff will provide a New Horizons participation count and cost summary in Friday notes, continue development of program-based budgets for CTE pathways, and refine textbook-inventory priorities tied to standards changes and funding availability.