Piscataway board adopts 2026–27 budget after restoration of field hockey and gymnastics

The Piscataway Township School District board adopted the 2026–27 general fund budget on April 27 after a presentation by Superintendent Glover that credited negotiated healthcare savings and some program adjustments for allowing a balanced plan.

Glover told the board the budget is “very, very taxing” and largely driven by medical insurance costs; he said roughly 51% of the budget pays salaries and about 24.6% covers benefits, leaving “not much wiggle room.” He said the district prepared two specific adjustments to extracurriculars and announced that high school field hockey and gymnastics would be restored.

The restoration followed several public comments from student athletes and parents that Glover said influenced the board’s decision. “Our student athletes have presented to not just myself, but to also members of the high school,” the superintendent said, adding that he understood the difficulty of making sustainable choices while also responding to students’ advocacy.

The district presented revenue and appropriation figures during the hearing; the superintendent read the general fund revenue for 2026–27 as reported to the public. (The transcript’s rendering of the precise cents was unclear; the board made the budget book available online and in print for public inspection.)

During a formal roll‑call vote the board approved the budget. The motion was announced, a second was recorded by Doctor Dale Nelson, and the clerk ran a roll call with named members recorded as voting yes; the president declared the motion carried.

The budget discussion also included a fiscal planning report from committee chair Dr. Tom Connors that noted continuing health‑benefit claim overruns have limited capital‑reserve availability and urged continued legislative attention to rising insurance costs. Connors briefed the board on several facility projects — including media center work, roof repairs tied to future solar panel installations, and scheduled summer painting — and on transportation route consolidation being explored for 2026–27.

The superintendent and committee members highlighted the district’s recent financial recognition: the Association of School Business Officials International again awarded the district a Certificate of Excellence in Financial Reporting, a nine‑year streak the administration cited as evidence of fiscal diligence.

What happens next: The board said the full budget book will be posted on the district website and made available in print. The superintendent said the district will continue to pursue grants and other fiscal strategies to support programming and capital needs while monitoring health‑care costs that could affect future budgets.