Manchester Township School District outlines options after $5.7 million budget overrun

The Manchester Township School District business administrator told the board on March 31 that the district’s tentative 2026–27 budget, as submitted in December, exceeds the statutory cap by about $5.7 million and outlined how administrators plan to close the gap.

"The budget is at statutory cap," the business administrator said, adding that the projected increase in health benefits accounted for roughly $3.8 million of the excess and that health benefits had increased "over 30%" this year with another large increase projected next year. To reach the cap, the administration proposed approximately $2.4 million in cuts — largely affecting staff — and about $1.0 million in cuts to district operations. Officials also plan to use a health‑pension waiver to avoid a further $322,000 in reductions.

The business…