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Business administrator corrects enrollment figures; referendum on hold after DEP concerns
Summary
RockawayTownship officials told residents the district misstated an enrollment increase (correct figure ~7%, not 42%), said a $95 million referendum is on hold because of NJDEP issues, and presented a preliminary budget that raises $53.6 million in taxes (2.4% levy increase).
Residents at the March 12 Rockaway Township Board of Education meeting pressed the district for clearer information about a proposed $95 million referendum and recent enrollment figures. Business Administrator Megan Slam corrected an earlier press release that had cited an approximately 42% enrollment increase and provided October snapshot numbers showing a roughly 7% increase since 2020.
"The release of this figure was not intended to mislead the public or make our situation more dire. It was simply an error made by someone filling in," Slam said, noting the district added a section to the website with ASSA enrollment snapshots and user-friendly budgets.
Public commenters asked for a full breakdown of the referendums scope and costs. The board and administrators said the referendum is currently on hold after the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection raised issues that affected initial plans; architects and engineers are reviewing alternatives.
Slam also presented the preliminary 2025-26 budget required for submission to the county: general fund $64,084,950; special revenue $685,619; total $64,770,569; amount to be raised by taxes $53,604,254. She said the proposed tax levy increase is about 2.4%, achieved in part by using $243,583 of banked cap. The district cited rising costs in healthcare, transportation, utilities and special education as drivers of increased spending.
Board members urged continuing public outreach and pledged to publish corrected information. Slam said the district would provide a clearer project breakdown and select a new referendum election date when engineers and legal reviews permit.
The board approved the preliminary budget submission required by statute to meet an upcoming March deadline; the budget will be presented in full at an April 30 public hearing before final adoption.
