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Freehold Regional board forwards $246.3 million preliminary budget after superintendent warns of $889,011 state-aid cut
Summary
Board voted to forward a preliminary fiscal 2027 budget to the county superintendent after Superintendent Dr. Hazel said the district lost 3% of state aid (about $889,011). The plan includes $10—12 million in planned facility work and a range of infrastructure projects.
The Freehold Regional High School District Board of Education on March 13 voted to forward a preliminary fiscal 2027 budget to the county superintendent after Superintendent Dr. Hazel said the district suffered a 3% reduction in state aid, a loss she quantified as $889,011.
Dr. Hazel told the board the district plans to seek efficiencies while keeping critical services and outlined capital and operating pressures driving the proposal. "We lost 3% in our state aid," she said, noting the district's state aid this year is roughly $28,000,007.44 compared with more than $51,000,000 in 2016. She cited rising medical benefits (up about 15%), salary increases and other inflationary pressures as major budget drivers.
The preliminary budget document presented for the board's approval would spend $246,300,000 and levy approximately $196,800,000 in local taxes; the board's action forwards this tentative plan to the county superintendent for review. Dr. Hazel said the district expects to allocate between $10 million and $12 million toward facilities projects that are already prioritized in architectural reports.
Planned capital work highlighted by Dr. Hazel includes security camera system upgrades, emergency panic-button additions to meet Alyssa's Law requirements, fire-alarm modernization to allow pinpointing of sensors, chilled-water and rooftop-unit replacements, boilers, roofing and paving, gym-floor and bleacher replacements, tennis-court work, and phased science-lab renovations.
Board members on the finance committee discussed possible cost-cutting ideas historically considered during lean years but said drastic options (such as pay-to-play or subscription busing) are not included in the proposed budget. The superintendent said the final budget will be presented for a public vote on April 30.
The board approved program operations items, including the preliminary budget (H-5), by roll call vote to forward it to the county superintendent for review and public hearing. The board will revisit and adopt a final budget in April.
