Westfield administrators outline 2025–26 budget and two‑question bond referendum including full‑day kindergarten

Superintendent Dr. Gonzales presented a continuation of the district’s budget and bond‑referendum planning for 2025–26, saying the presentation built on prior meetings and that final numbers remain pending the New Jersey Department of Education’s determination on debt‑service aid eligibility.

"What you'll see is a continuation of what we began last month," Dr. Gonzales said, summarizing district priorities that include maintaining the current staffing model, continuing curriculum writing and professional development, and investing in facilities and schedules required to implement a new master schedule at the secondary level.

Administrators described a two‑question structure for the referendum. Question 1 would bundle renovations and improvements (HVAC systems, bathrooms, Westfield High School auditorium renovation, media centers, small‑group instruction spaces, special‑education program space and multipurpose room additions at Franklin and Jefferson). Question 2 would cover construction and renovations specifically associated with implementing full‑day kindergarten.

Patty Ramos, who spoke for district administration, said the district has not yet received the final state review needed to calculate tax impacts. "We continue to wait for the Department of Education to provide a final review and determination of our debt service aid eligibility," she said, noting administration is encouraging state review to expedite the application process.

Administrators noted several budget details that will affect the levy calculation: continuing investments in curriculum and professional development, adding two bus drivers as the district brings a second bus into service, and planned purchases for classroom and cafeteria furniture tied to a revised block‑lunch schedule at the high school. They said a health‑insurance adjustment will add "a little over $1,000,000" to the budget and that the base levy increase is currently estimated at about 2.92%, with an additional spending proposal of about 0.69%, both figures contingent on final state aid.

The superintendent emphasized outreach: the district has scheduled roughly 30 community engagement sessions (in‑person and remote) and maintains an online referendum and budget portal to collect questions and provide informational materials. He urged residents to consider mail‑in voting options because the state set the vote date for April 15, which falls during spring break.

Board members pressed for contingency planning and timing. One member noted that, absent a referendum, completing the facilities work through operating budgets would take decades at the current rate of capital spending; a different board member said the district’s contingency plan currently relies in part on drawing from capital reserves and that those reserves are relatively limited (the transcript records a cited capital fund figure of approximately $8,000,000). The board received the presentation and scheduled further work to finalize ballot language and numeric impacts at the second meeting in March.

What happens next: administrators said they expect to finalize ballot wording, including project lists and dollar amounts, at the March meetings once state determinations arrive. The district will continue community engagement through March and encourage mail‑in ballots for the April 15 referendum vote.