Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Rumson-Fair Haven board adopts $27.67 million 2025–26 budget, approves HVAC and lighting capital work
Summary
The Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School Board unanimously adopted a $27,671,988 final budget for 2025–26, approved a $3.6 million capital-reserve withdrawal for full HVAC replacement and LED upgrades, and authorized related finance items at its April 29 meeting.
The Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School Board of Education on April 29 voted unanimously to adopt a $27,671,988 final operating budget for the 2025–26 school year and approved related finance measures including capital projects and reserve withdrawals.
Business Administrator and Board Secretary Sean S. Cranston presented the budget and certified compliance with state accounting rules: "I, Sean Cranston, certify that no line item has been over expended in violation of 6A:23A-16.10(c)3 and that sufficient funds are available to meet the district’s financial obligations for the remainder of the fiscal year," he stated during the presentation. The budget package shows a proposed local tax levy of $21,755,509 and relies on a mix of state aid, tuition, miscellaneous revenue and reserve withdrawals.
Why it matters: The budget funds operations, special education placements, athletics and a multi-million-dollar capital project planned to replace HVAC systems and upgrade lighting. Board approval clears the district to proceed with project procurement and to present final figures to the county education office as required.
Key approvals and financial details: The board approved a $3,585,000 withdrawal from the Capital Reserve to fund other capital projects, described in the agenda as a "Full HVAC replacement in kind and LED upgrades" with a total project cost listed at $3,878,537. The board also approved a $62,000 withdrawal from the Maintenance Reserve under N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-14.2(d) for required maintenance activities. The agenda lists Lighting Tier 3 at $3,023,695.19 and Lighting Tier 1 at $137,040.87 for the JCP&L MMBtu Energy Savings lighting work; the board included authorization for that program in the finance package.
Other finance votes: The Board approved Finance Items 6–21 (which included the final budget adoption, the capital and maintenance reserve withdrawals, and travel/reimbursement caps) on a motion by Mrs. Kiley and seconded by Mrs. Whitehouse, by unanimous roll-call vote. The agenda set the maximum travel appropriation for the 2025–26 school year at $89,899. The April 25 bill list approved the general fund bills totaling $154,183.39 (total bill list $154,566.69) and payroll for April 15 totaled $609,800.60, with combined expenditures presented as $764,367.29 for that period.
What comes next: With board adoption, the district will proceed with the capital project procurement and the Business Administrator will finalize filings and compliance paperwork required by the Executive County Superintendent of Schools. The board recorded the vote as unanimous.
