Butler Board approves submission of $33.13 million tentative budget, schedules April 30 public hearing

The Butler Board of Education voted to submit its tentative 2026–2027 school district budget to the Executive County Superintendent of Schools at its March 25 meeting.

The tentative budget lists total expenditures of $33,132,339, anticipated revenues of $10,770,329, and taxes to be raised of $22,362,010. The board included an adjustment of $622,424 to cover anticipated increases in health benefits and approved a $700,000 withdrawal from the district’s Maintenance Reserve to fund required facility maintenance under N.J.A.C. 6A:26-20.5.

Finance Chair J. Karpowich presented the finance committee’s motions and called for a roll-call vote; the motion to submit the tentative budget carried unanimously among board members present. The board also approved related finance items including bills and claims and open purchase orders; minutes show a bills-and-claims total of $2,461,640.83 and ratified payments of $434,483.19 for materials and services.

The board directed that the tentative budget be advertised in the Suburban Trends in the form required by the State Department of Education and scheduled a public hearing in the Butler High School Media Center for April 30, 2026, at 6:30 p.m.

The board approved a $70,000 maximum travel-expenditure line for 2026–2027 and reaffirmed travel-approval procedures required under N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-7.3. The board unanimously approved participation in the Special Education Medicaid Initiative and renewal of membership in the Pooled Insurance Program of New Jersey for the specified term.

Votes at the meeting were recorded by roll call with all present voting yes; two members (A. Allison and A. Drucker) were noted as absent in the roll calls documented in the minutes.