Salem County board approves preliminary 2025–26 budgets and sets $1,500 travel cap

The Board of Education for the Salem County Special Services and Vocational Technical School District approved preliminary 2025–26 budgets on March 6, 2025, and set a per‑employee travel cap of $1,500 for both districts.

Business Administrator recommended approval of the Salem County Vocational-Technical School preliminary budget, which lists a General Fund of $16,852,819, a Special Revenue Fund of $1,380,970 and a total base budget of $18,233,789, with a local tax levy of $1,865,280. The same administrator presented the Salem County Special Services School District preliminary budget with a General Fund of $10,337,869, Special Revenue of $1,456,730 and a total base budget of $11,794,599; that district’s local tax levy is shown as $0. Both budget approvals were recommended "subject to revision and approval of the County Office or NJ Department of Education."

The board also adopted a uniform travel policy for 2025–26, authorizing up to $1,500 per employee for regular business travel and listing an annual district cap of $17,645 in the materials; the policy requires superintendent (or designee) approval before travel expenses are incurred and cites N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-7.3(b) and N.J.S.A. 18A:19-1 for approval requirements.

Roll-call records in the minutes show Patricia Bomba, James Davis, Linwood Donelson III and Daryl Halter recorded as voting "Yes" on the roll calls that approved the budget and travel items; the minutes list a tally of four yes votes for those actions. The minutes do not show a detailed, line‑by‑line roll call for every name on every vote in the document, and they note that approvals remain subject to county and state review.

Next steps: both preliminary budgets are to be transmitted for revision and approval by the County Office or the New Jersey Department of Education as required; the board adjourned at 11:05 a.m. and held an executive session during the meeting.