West Orange board hears $14–15M budget shortfall, approves submission of preliminary 2026–27 budget

The West Orange Board of Education on Thursday was presented with a preliminary 2026–27 budget that projects roughly $206 million in revenues against $220 million in expenditures, creating a structural shortfall the district estimates at about $14–15 million.

Superintendent Hayden Moore and business administrator Tanya Flowers said the gap stems from legally mandated and market-driven increases in salaries, health care and special-education tuition. Flowers said the district serves more than 7,100 students and that even with a recommended 2.5% tax-levy increase the district would still face a significant deficit. "We are mathematically in the red before the school year even begins," Flowers said in the presentation.

The district presented detailed cost drivers: salaries and benefits account for about half of the budget (combined salaries and benefits are nearly 70% of total costs on the district slides), health-insurance costs are projected to rise by about 17.8%, special-education tuition by about 6%, and transportation costs are rising (Flowers cited a CPI-based increase of roughly 3.58%). Flowers reported a general-fund total of $206,821,351 in the recommended preliminary budget and…