Collingswood board adopts 2026-27 budget, approves closure of Garfield Elementary amid $3.3M shortfall

The Collingswood Public School District on April 29 adopted its 2026-27 budget and approved plans to close Garfield Elementary, a move administrators said is necessary to close a roughly $3.3 million funding gap.

Superintendent Dr. McDowell told the board that rising personnel costs, sharply higher health-insurance premiums and utility increases have outpaced the revenues the district can legally raise. "The gap that we were forced to overcome was roughly $3.3 million," Dr. McDowell said during a presentation that reviewed enrollment, state aid and reserves.

Business administrator Mr. Burns outlined the district’s revenue picture, saying declining fund balances and tuition revenue had left the district with fewer reserves; he described a near-term revenue shortfall and noted maintenance and capital reserves would be drawn down.

As part of the package approved by the board, administrators said about 30 full-time equivalent positions across categories — administrative, teaching and support — will be eliminated, two preschool classrooms will relocate, the middle and high school campuses will be consolidated to one site, and roughly 113 Garfield students will be reassigned to the remaining elementary schools. The board also approved the formal closure of Garfield Elementary as part of the agenda vote.

The administration said the closure and personnel reductions followed an exhaustive review of options, including cutting contingency lines, delaying capital work and phasing in curriculum expenditures. Dr. McDowell said the district had pursued grants and philanthropic funding but that many one-time funds had expired or been canceled; she cited a prior one-time tax-levy incentive the district used to narrow an earlier gap.

Board members pressed administrators for detail on restored positions and on alternatives. The superintendent said three positions — two kindergarten aides and one social worker — were restored after association negotiations reduced the initial reduction list. The administration emphasized that many reductions were targeted to non-FTE lines first (for example, delaying a full curriculum rollout and delaying some facility work) before affecting staff.

Several board members and the superintendent said the district will pursue community engagement and state advocacy and explore an operational referendum as a longer-term solution. The superintendent recommended any referendum prioritize restoring student-facing staff and supports first.

The motion to approve the relevant business and finance agenda (items 12.01–12.24), which included the final budget and Garfield closure, passed by roll call. The record shows majority approval; several board members registered 'no' votes on certain line items and one abstention on a specific warrant check, but the overall package was approved.

What happens next: the administration said employee contracts will be issued by May 15 and impacted families will receive reassignment information in early May. The board and administration said they plan a community outreach campaign this summer to build consensus about potential referendum questions and priorities.

Authorities and legal context: a board member read aloud NJ statute NJSA 18A:28-10 to explain the state-mandated seniority process for layoffs and urged community advocacy at the state level if the community wants different layoff rules.

Funding details (as presented): the administration described personnel costs rising by 6.5% year-over-year, health-insurance premium increases of about 22% (described as roughly $1.25 million in additional cost), utilities up sharply, and a net structural funding gap that the district has managed with one-time revenues in prior years. Exact budget line-item figures were presented in the board materials referenced at the meeting.

The board said it will continue to look for shared-service savings with neighboring Oaklyn and to pursue local and state advocacy to address the structural funding shortfall.

Ending: The board approved the budget and associated actions that administrators said were required to balance the district’s finances; the community will now shift focus to outreach about a potential referendum this fall and to supporting affected students and staff in the near term.