Haddonfield board advances tentative $59.1 million budget; average homeowner faces about $467 increase

The Haddonfield School District board heard a preliminary budget presentation and moved to adopt a tentative $59,128,811 budget for fiscal year 2026–27 that will be submitted to the county executive superintendent for review.

The presentation, led by the district budget presenter (speaker 3), showed the district’s operating revenue and spending plan including a tax-levy portion of about $44.7 million. The presenter said the proposed general fund tax levy reflects a 5.9% increase and noted the average assessment in town is $542,000, meaning an effective general-fund increase of roughly $467 for the typical homeowner.

Board members and staff described steps taken to eliminate a small projected deficit earlier in March: increasing miscellaneous revenue budgeted by $25,000, drawing $75,000 from district surplus (reduction of appropriations), and schedule and staffing adjustments that preserved two positions. One board member summarized the operational changes as targeted savings and scheduling shifts that avoided cutting key instructional roles.

The presenter framed the tentative budget as a multi-step process: the board must approve the tentative budget for submission, hold a public hearing, and then adopt a final budget (the board set a public hearing and adoption for May 7). The presenter emphasized statutory constraints, including a 2% tax-levy cap with allowable adjustments (a health-care adjustment and use of banked cap), which together explain how the board reached the 5.9% figure.

The board discussed administrative cost limits and compliance with regional statutory thresholds; the presenter said per-pupil administrative costs in the proposed budget are $1,758 and that the district remains below the regional limit.

The board did not adopt a final budget at the meeting; next procedural steps are the public hearing and scheduled adoption on May 7, when the board will vote to finalize the plan.