Deptford Board adopts $106.39 million 2026–27 budget, adds Head Start funding and $1M for health care

The Deptford Township Board of Education voted 8-0 on April 28 to adopt a final 2026–2027 budget totaling $106,393,351, the administration said during a public hearing in the Deptford Middle School cafeteria.

The budget package includes $151,215 added to Preschool Education Aid (Head Start) and a $179,585 increase to Title I funding (noted in board materials as an increase to roughly 80% of the previous Title I allocation), producing a net revenue/appropriation change of $330,800 from the tentative budget. Superintendent Kevin Kanauss presented the revised figures and answered board questions during the hearing.

The board also included a $1,000,000 health care cost adjustment pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:7F-38(d) to offset rising premiums and established a $50,000 maximum allotment in the General Fund for travel-related expenditures for 2026–2027. Appropriation changes in the document shifted funds between instruction and support accounts for staff movements, increased electric costs, and boosted special education accounts.

Capital projects were highlighted in the budget support materials. The document lists a budgeted withdrawal from capital reserve of $1,130,000 for “excess costs & other capital projects,” with a breakdown showing $180,000 for a student bathroom renovation, $395,000 to complete the Lake Tract security vestibule and $555,000 for high school science labs. Separately, the finance agenda later authorized appropriation of $765,000 from capital reserve to complete the Lake Tract security vestibule and a purchase order for construction and renovation work to WJ Gross, Inc., not to exceed $1,875,000, purchased through cooperative contract #F2301.

Board member Stacy Gray moved to approve the budget; Linda Rosser seconded and the motion passed unanimously on a roll-call vote. No members of the public spoke during the budget portion of the public hearing.

Board members discussed operational changes tied to safety and traffic flow, including a possible relocation of high school drop-off to reduce congestion on Fox Run Road. Superintendent Kanauss said the relocation is under consideration for next school year and will require additional planning and evaluation before implementation.

The board certified the budget after county approval and public advertisement, as required under state rules. The district’s supporting materials list the changes, line-item accounts, and the statutory references underlying the healthcare and travel provisions. The board’s action makes the budget effective for the 2026–2027 school year; next steps noted in board materials include implementation planning and continued administrative review of capital project timelines.