Monroe Township Board adopts $172.9M tentative budget that funds full‑day kindergarten amid steep health‑care cost increases

Monroe Township Board of Education on March 25 adopted a tentative 2026–27 budget totaling $172,896,812 that administrators said maintains current programs, establishes full‑day kindergarten and adds a $2.9 million deposit to the district’s capital reserve.

The board recorded a general‑fund total of $160,411,874 and included a state‑calculated health‑benefit adjustment of $7,939,427 to offset projected premium increases. Miss Allen, presenting the finance details, told the board the district received its state aid notice on March 12 and that the combined levy cap — the 2% base plus the allowable health‑care adjustment — produced a general‑fund levy cap of $135.6 million.

Why it matters: the package keeps existing programs and staff intact while passing much of the cost of rapidly rising employee health‑care premiums to local taxpayers. Administrators warned the largest single pressure is medical and prescription premiums, which the presentation showed rising from roughly $24.6 million to $39.3 million compared with earlier budget years.

What officials said: Miss Allen outlined line‑item impacts and…