North Hunterdon-Voorhees board adopts 2026–27 budget, raises tax levy 4.29%

The North Hunterdon-Voorhees Regional High School District board on April 28 adopted the 2026–27 operating budget, approving a tax-levy increase of 4.29% and using a state-authorized health-benefits waiver to exceed the usual 2% cap.

The board’s business administrator, Katie Wood, told the public the district faced three principal budget drivers: rising health-benefit costs, increasing out‑of‑district special‑education placements and transportation pressures. Wood said the district is projecting a roughly 20% increase in its schools’ health-insurance fund this year while the state plan rose more than 30%, and that the state waiver permits a one‑time levy increase to cover these extraordinary costs.

The budget presentation framed the district’s policy goals as preserving comprehensive educational and extracurricular programs, maintaining safe facilities and retaining qualified staff. To close the gap between revenues and rising costs, the district plans to: create an in‑district ESL program to reduce out‑of‑district tuition; insource some special‑services staff (speech/language therapists) rather than contract them; right‑size non‑instructional staff through attrition; and rely on increased Polytech participation to reduce net expenditures.

Board members asked staff to explain apportionment and homeowner impacts. Wood and staff said the county’s regional apportionment worksheet (an October 15 snapshot) uses equalized municipal valuation and the number of students sent by each sending district to allocate the levy. The administration said municipal‑level examples and average‑home calculations for each town would be posted on the district website after board approval.

During the budget hearing, several residents spoke. Amy Barrett of High Bridge said she supported the budget, praising the administration’s work and the district’s services. Marlene Baldinger of Lebanon Borough, a parent and council president, said Lebanon Borough pays “close to $40,000 per student” and urged board members to stay connected with sending districts; she asked the board to attend local meetings to hear constituent concerns.

After public comment the board moved to adopt resolution 042826-4, establishing maximum travel and professional‑services expenditures and authorizing the tax levy. The board approved the resolution on a roll‑call vote and directed the business administrator to certify taxes to municipal clerks and implement the budget on July 1.

Votes at a glance: the budget adoption (Resolution 042826-4) passed by affirmative roll call; earlier in the evening the board separately approved a resolution urging greater transparency and full funding of New Jersey’s school funding formula (042826-5) and a hand‑carried resolution affirming an HIB decision (20.4). Several consent items in curriculum, policy, finance and facilities were also approved as presented; individual no votes and abstentions on discrete line items were recorded at the roll‑call for those agenda pieces.

What the budget means locally: the district projects a net operating increase of about $2.0 million year‑over‑year, with a local tax‑levy increase of approximately $2.4 million offset in part by smaller changes in other revenue lines. The administration said it would generate $171,975 in bank cap savings and use a planned $235,000 fund‑balance draw. The administration also emphasized that salaries and benefits make up nearly 70% of the operating budget, with salaries about 50% and benefits 18.5% of the total.

The board’s next steps include posting detailed municipal impact tables on the district website and certifying taxes to municipal clerks. The budget takes effect July 1, 2026.