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Westwood board approves preliminary $78.8 million budget; superintendent warns of a roughly $3 million gap and targeted staff reductions
Summary
The Westwood Regional Board approved a preliminary $78.8 million budget that the superintendent says leaves an approximate $3 million shortfall. Administration plans to use reserves and delayed purchases, proposes several administrative and a small net reduction in teaching positions, and will hold a public hearing on April 30.
The Westwood Regional Board of Education on Tuesday approved a preliminary $78.8 million budget that Superintendent Dr. McQueenie said leaves “about a $3,000,000” gap even after a modest rise in state aid.
Dr. McQueenie told the board and members of the public that the state increased the district’s aid by about 6% —roughly $250,000— but that the district still faces “about a $3,000,000, about 2.8, $2,900,000 gap.” He described steep health insurance premium pressures earlier in the process and said negotiations with the insurer and broker reduced an initial worst-case rate increase estimate from 46% to about 30%.
Why it matters: the budget before the board proposes a tax levy of about $66 million and $4.9 million in state aid; the district must close the remaining shortfall while trying to protect instructional programs. Dr. McQueenie said the administration and finance committee crafted reductions to minimize classroom impact and preserve core programs.
What the district would change: administration said cuts focus on line-item and “nice to have” expenses, delaying some capital and equipment purchases, and reducing several administrative positions. Dr. McQueenie described “4 administrative positions being reduced” and estimated “the net ends up being 5 or 6” fewer teaching positions through attrition or retirement, emphasizing the district is attempting to avoid direct program eliminations.
Business administrator Mr. Rosado also described planned uses of reserves to smooth the levy impact, including capital, emergency and maintenance reserves where legally allowable. Rosado told the board the Berkeley facade project was included in the capital reserve portion of the budget and that some reserves are restricted to specific purposes.
Public reaction and questions: residents asked for more clarity on numbers and potential staffing impacts. Phil Deanna, a Westwood resident, asked, “If I'm reading the budget right with a budget of 78.7, $78,800,000, a levy of $66,000,000, and state aid of $4,900,000, does that leave the district with a gap of $7,300,000?” Dr. McQueenie corrected the arithmetic and explained how state aid and negotiated benefit changes affected the final figures.
Next steps: the board approved the preliminary budget this evening (the action moves the budget to the Bergen County Executive Superintendent for review) and set a public hearing and opportunity for comment at the April 30 board meeting. The administration said it will continue refining line items and report details at the April finance committee meeting and the publicly noticed hearing.
Administration emphasized the budget remains fluid and that health insurance, out-of-district tuition increases and transportation costs are driving pressure across New Jersey school districts. Dr. McQueenie said Westwood currently receives roughly 89% of what the state’s adequacy calculation would indicate as its “fair share” of funding, a structural constraint the district cannot control and which may prompt future budget discussions for additional revenue.
