Referendum funds in hand; board debates $15,000 consultant for business-office review and BA search

The Marlboro Township School District said Jan. 20 that it has received $5.3 million in state referendum funding and is moving into design and bidding phases for construction projects, while the board held a detailed budget discussion covering technology and security costs.

A district representative said the $5,300,000 was deposited on Dec. 23 and that design reviews are scheduled for Feb. 2; bid openings were projected for March 24 with an anticipated award on April 7, and construction work could begin in late spring with final completion not expected until 2027.

The board previewed departmental budgets. The technology presentation estimated the tech budget near $1,000,000 to cover continued purchases of Chromebooks for middle schoolers, touchscreen Chromebooks for kindergarten pilots, year-two lease payments for staff devices and wiring/network switch upgrades (some work contingent on E-rate funding). Administration said roughly 34% of the technology budget is allocated to staff and student devices.

On security the report noted planned video-surveillance upgrades (middle schools first) and an increased local share for School Resource Officers: the district’s contribution per SRO will rise from $45,000 to $90,000 following a recent request from the police department. Administration described the increase as necessary to maintain partnership with local police.

A substantive budget-adjacent debate focused on item 15: a proposed contract not to exceed $15,000 for a consulting firm to perform a business-office operational review and to assist with a Business Administrator (BA) search. Board members split on the expenditure. Several trustees argued the district already has capable internal staff and that $15,000 should go toward classroom or device priorities; others said an outside review could identify efficiencies and that the fee is a one-time investment to seek long-term savings. After lengthy discussion the board voted to table the consultant/search firm item to a future date determined by the superintendent.

Why it matters: The referendum money will underwrite capital work; however the budget preview and the debate over a consulting fee show trustees weighing short-term costs against potential operational savings and staffing needs at a time when the district is preparing a tentative budget and facing statewide staffing shortages for finance professionals.

What happens next: Administration will proceed with design/bid steps for the referendum project and provide further budget detail at upcoming meetings (including comparisons and line-item figures on request). The superintendent agreed to pursue the BA search without the consultant if needed and to revisit operational-review needs later if warranted.