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Roxbury board adopts balanced budget after warning of staff reductions and rising health costs
Summary
Roxbury Township School District adopted its final 2026–27 budget after administrators described rising health-care premiums, declining enrollment and a $1.5 million gap; the district said it will reduce 27 positions while trying to protect classroom instruction.
The Roxbury Township School District board approved a final fiscal 2026–27 budget Monday after administrators outlined steep health-care cost increases, declining enrollment and cuts that will include a reduction-in-force affecting 27 positions.
Superintendent Dr. Santo opened the public hearing by calling the plan a "balanced budget" that aligns spending with district goals while acknowledging a difficult financial picture. "This year we added a goal in operational efficacy,'" he said, describing a range of operational and instructional shifts used to hold programs together.
Business administrator Joe Mandinaro told the board the district faced a combination of factors that created the shortfall: a 20% spike in health benefit costs, a drop of roughly 40 students (about $800,000 in revenue) and a lower fund balance than in prior years. "These rising premium costs have really driven our challenges to a new level," he said. Mandinaro said the district used a healthcare-adjustment waiver to stay above the tax-cap threshold and avoid deeper cuts.
Mandinaro also addressed a widely discussed proposal for an athletic dome, saying the district is "not doing the dome this upcoming year" and that any such project would be contingent on future funding. He described ongoing capital work — window replacements, serving-area renovations to accommodate a one-lunch schedule at the high school, HVAC work and an alternative high-school program conversion of existing space — and said the district seeks grants and other outside funds for deferred projects.
Facing a budget gap the administration said could not be closed without personnel reductions, the district signaled a targeted workforce reduction of 27 positions after more than two years of attrition and other efficiency measures. Officials said they prioritized keeping classroom teachers and limiting class-size growth, relying instead on central-office and support staff reductions where possible. "This is mission critical," Mandinaro said of the cuts; "we didn't come to this first. It's the last resort."
Board members and residents asked about the local tax impact and the timeline for some projects. Mandinaro provided a homeowner example: on a $500,000 home the school portion of local taxes was estimated in the presentation at roughly $9,683. The board also voted to approve a slate of finance-related resolutions (1–25) that implement portions of the budget and related contracts.
Several board members declared recusals on specific line items within a travel/resolution bundle; the motions nevertheless carried. The administration said recordings of budget briefings and superintendent coffees are available on the district website for residents seeking more detail.
The board approved the budget-related motions by roll call and closed the public hearing. The district said it will continue community outreach, hold a superintendent coffee and publish further details about implementation timelines and affected positions.
