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Piscataway budget presentation warns of volatile state aid, proposes 5.5% tax-levy increase
Summary
District finance leaders told the board that swings in New Jersey's state-aid formula and a 25% cut to preschool carryover forced budget choices; administrators propose using $1.1M in bank cap plus a $2.5M health-care waiver to reach a recommended 5.5% tax-levy increase, with a public hearing set for April 24.
Business administrator David Olivera presented the Piscataway Township School District's preliminary budget outlook on March 13, saying sudden shifts in the state's school-aid calculation mean the district must ask taxpayers for more revenue next year.
Olivera said last year's unusual $4.8 million increase in state aid has been followed by a projected near-$800,000 reduction for 2025-26 under the S2 funding formula. "The formula is unpredictable," he said, explaining the state switched from applying an estimated special-education factor to using actual special-education counts, which reduced Piscataway's aid. He also reported the state reclaimed 25% of preschool carryover statewide; for Piscataway that reduced preschool aid by about $251,000.
Why it matters: the district is proposing a tax-levy package that combines the 2% cap, use of $1.1 million in bank cap and a health-care-cost waiver the…
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