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Jersey Shore Area SD projects $1.05M deficit; business manager recommends modest tax increase
Summary
At an April 27 board meeting, business manager Mister Enders presented the 2026–27 budget showing a $1,054,186 projected deficit and recommended a 25%-of-index real-estate tax increase (1.2%) that he estimates would raise about $212,000 and reduce the shortfall; board members pressed for staffing, contract and enrollment analyses.
Board President (chair) called the Jersey Shore Area School District board to order on April 27, and business manager Mister Enders presented the district's 2026–27 budget framework and revenue projection.
Mister Enders said the district is projecting $49.9 million in revenue and $50.96 million in expenditures, producing a projected deficit of $1,054,186 for 2026–27. "We are right now showing a budget deficit of just over 1000000 dollars of $1,054,186," he said, and he outlined sources of increased cost, including salaries up about $540,000 and health-insurance costs up about $572,000.
Enders also highlighted an expected $462,000 increase in debt-service spending next year tied to recent capital renovations and explained that charter-school tuition payments are projected at roughly $4.7 million, a material increase compared with prior years. "Charter schools, we are estimated to be at $4,700,000 this year," he said.
To narrow the gap, Enders recommended the board consider increasing real-estate taxes by 25% of the index (1.2% of the current 4.8% index). He estimated that change would generate about $212,000 and reduce the projected deficit by roughly the same amount. He cautioned that Homestead/Farmstead allocations from the Commonwealth, due May 1, could change the final figures and that county rebalance mechanics mean impact will vary by county.
Board members pressed for more detail on where controllable savings could be found. Several members urged a focus on staffing and contract choices because salaries and benefits account for the majority of district spending; Enders said salaries and benefits sit at about 67% of the total budget for 2026–27. Chair and other members asked staff to return with multi-year enrollment and staffing comparisons and more granular projections for potential savings from attrition, class-size adjustments and league-level athletic travel changes.
Several board members also revisited earlier building-closure savings. Enders said the earlier Salisbury closure removed about $860,000 in positions and operations from the 2025–26 budget and that not closing the building would have increased the 2026–27 deficit by roughly $950,000.
Next steps: Enders said the board will post a proposed budget in May, which is procedural and nonbinding, and will follow the required 30-day public posting before a final vote in June; a June meeting will also include a resolution on the Homestead/Farmstead exclusion and the district's real-estate tax resolution. The board did not vote on the proposed tax change at the April 27 meeting.
Meeting outcomes: the board approved routine business including minutes, the treasurer's report, payroll/bills, and a slate of personnel and finance items by voice vote. The budget recommendation will return to the board with updated Homestead/Farmstead numbers and requested supporting analyses.
