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Superintendent preview: FY27 budget to reflect enrollment decline and staffing gaps under SOQs
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Vladeau told the board the FY27 budget will reflect a projected drop of more than 100 students and roughly $1 million in lost state funding; he highlighted gaps between state-funded positions (SOQs) and the district’s staffing needs and recommended prioritizing staff retention, CTE expansion and modest AI-related training.
Dr. Vladeau previewed the Gloucester County Public Schools FY27 budget at a work session, saying the division faces a projected enrollment decline of more than 100 students that would reduce state revenue by about $1 million and complicate staffing plans. He told the board a proposed FY27 budget would be presented for consideration on February 10.
"We're predicted to go down, and that's gonna be a little bit over $1,000,000 in loss of funding simply for that loss of membership," Dr. Vladeau said while explaining how Average Daily Membership (ADM) drives state allocations. He explained that the state provides roughly $9,300 per student (as used in the district’s staffing formula) and that a decline of 25 students typically corresponds to the loss of one teacher position.
Dr. Vladeau described a persistent gap between the state's Standards of Quality (SOQs) funding and the district's staffing needs. He said SOQs fund 497 positions but the district needs an additional 312 positions; similarly, SOQs fund 315 teacher positions while the district’s need is 399, and the formula accounts for only three assistant principals while the district employs 14. "The SOQs is a bipartisan determination that does not come even close to funding our schools," he said.
He provided revenue and expenditure context from the prior year: approximately $43.3 million from the state, $30.4 million from the county, $114,000 in miscellaneous local funds, about $650,000 in state/local grants and roughly $3.1 million in federal grants (including Title and special education funds). Dr. Vladeau said the Local Composite Index (LCI), a state measure of a locality’s ability to pay, rose slightly (from about 0.399 to 0.407), a change he estimated is worth roughly $400,000 in state funding — the equivalent of about six teacher positions at $80,000 each with benefits.
He pointed to performance data the district reports, including a reported on-time graduation rate of 96.2% in 2025, and emphasized that Gloucester achieves results at or above state averages despite lower per-pupil spending: Dr. Vladeau cited state per-pupil spending at about $15,286 and Gloucester’s per-pupil spending at about $14,221.
Dr. Vladeau also highlighted programmatic priorities the budget will consider: shoring up CTE offerings and expanding programs in welding, electrician work, plumbing and HVAC to align with regional workforce demand; monitoring and engaging homeschooling families to limit further enrollment losses; and modest professional development related to AI, which he said many districts are already planning for.
Dr. Vladeau closed by reminding board members of the community sessions on the budget and saying staff will return with a proposed budget for the board’s formal consideration on the scheduled date.
