East Brunswick board adopts tentative 2027 budget with 6.16% proposed tax levy increase; shortfall remains

The East Brunswick Board of Education voted to adopt a tentative 2027 school budget that incorporates a proposed 6.16% increase in the school tax levy, board members said at a public finance committee meeting where the administration laid out revenues, expenditures and options to close the gap.

Business administrator Joe presented the district’s current numbers, saying, “When we compiled everything, the projected appropriations total $214,000,000 and projected revenues total $208,000,000, leaving us with a deficit of almost $5,600,000.” That figure, the administration said, assumes the proposed 6.16% levy; the district also estimated each 1% of levy change brings roughly $1.5 million in revenue.

The tentative budget adopted by roll call preserves that 6.16% figure while listing a set of reductions and reallocations the administration plans to pursue before final adoption. The packet presented to the board itemized candidate savings including $83,000 in contracted‑services reductions; roughly $783,000 from outsourcing and adjustments to non‑certificated staffing; not replacing a part‑time and a full‑time secretary; an estimated $762,000 in savings from shared‑service agreements; and shifting certain lunch‑period staff costs to the child‑nutrition fund for a roughly $403,000 general‑fund reduction.

“We want it to be clear, and we want it to be strategic,” Superintendent Dr. Mammon told the board as she framed the tentative plan. She emphasized the budget is a starting point and not the final adopted plan, saying the administration has tried to protect “core instructional quality” while finding efficiencies.

Board members pressed for detail on program and staffing impacts. Several asked whether the non‑replacement of two secretarial positions would be the limit of personnel reductions; administrators said further personnel changes would be considered only as a last resort because recent cuts have already pared instructional supports. Board member Anna Braun asked for enrollment data for electives and low‑enrollment courses; the administration said minimum enrollments depend on course certification, building, and equipment needs and will be evaluated case by case.

The board also discussed operational efficiencies beyond staffing. Members identified more than 50 copier leases across district buildings and urged continuing consolidation; the administration noted long‑running work on copier contracts and use of printing‑management software. Shared services with the township, including snow removal, were debated: some trustees cautioned that township crews focus on public streets and the district could be deprioritized for parking‑lot plowing if it relied on the township for guaranteed service.

Trustees and staff also discussed long‑term structural pressures, including rising health‑benefit costs and special‑education outplacements. Board members and administrators repeatedly said those drivers are mostly outside local control and would require state legislative changes to fix. The administration noted that unexpected health‑benefit overages in FY2025 largely depleted the district’s usual fund balance, leaving a lower reserve to smooth year‑to‑year costs.

The administration translated the tax impact for homeowners: using an average assessed value of $132,000, the proposed 6.16% increase would add about $641 annually, or roughly $53.42 per month, for the school portion of the property tax bill.

Public commenters at the meeting urged transparency and asked the district to prioritize programs with strong “return on investment.” Residents also encouraged the board to explore selective uses of artificial intelligence to reduce administrative burden while protecting student privacy and classroom jobs; the superintendent said the district will bring an AI policy to a future policy meeting and cautioned that FERPA and other privacy rules must be addressed.

After public comment the board moved and seconded to adopt the tentative budget as presented. The roll‑call motion carried. Trustees emphasized that the tentative adoption starts a narrow window of work: the board must firm up reductions and revenue options at an April 23 check‑in and hold a public hearing before final adoption on May 7.

“The tentative budget is where we start — not where we end,” the superintendent said. The administration will return with more detailed proposals on specific reductions, shared‑service agreements and any fee changes before the public hearing.

Votes at a glance: roll‑call approval of the tentative 2027 budget (motion carried; recorded votes read aloud during the meeting).