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Ridgefield Board approves $48.9M 2026–27 budget and 5.5% health‑care tax‑levy adjustment
Summary
The Ridgefield School District Board approved a $48,881,085 base budget for 2026–27 and a 5.5% tax‑levy adjustment ($1,425,875) to cover projected health‑care cost increases; the final budget passed 6–1 after public comment and board discussion about program cuts and transparency.
The Ridgefield School District Board of Education approved the district's 2026–27 final budget during its May 7 meeting, authorizing a total base budget of $48,881,085 and a general‑fund tax levy of $27,869,370. The board also approved a tax‑levy adjustment of 5.5% ($1,425,875) to address projected health‑care premium increases for plan year 2026.
Business Administrator and Board Secretary Kelvin Hiciano and Superintendent Dr. Anemone presented the budget at the hearing and described health‑care cost pressures. The administration cited state figures — including NJ Division of Pensions and Benefits projections the meeting recorded (for example, a 32.85% increase for NJ Direct plans and 25.19% for other educator plans) — and said the district's experience rating and prescription costs contributed to a planning renewal assumption near 35% for 2026.
Board members asked for detail on program reductions, scheduling and class sizes, and whether administrative savings were being considered. Board member Lori Hoffman expressed concerns about limited time for review and pushed for clarity on whether cuts would be restored if state aid or other revenues improved; Hoffman voted against the tax‑levy adjustment and the final budget. Other board members, including Theodore Christolias and Patrick Jo, supported approval after the administration said the plan included a $500,000 withdrawal from the district's tuition reserve and a $350,000 planned withdrawal from the maintenance reserve for required facility work.
The resolution also authorizes transferring $619,060 from the capital reserve to the debt service fund to cover principal and interest related to the district's Energy Savings Implementation Plan (ESIP). The budget recognizes $4,405,163 in state aid (including special education, equalization, security, transportation and debt service aid, less an SDA assessment), and the School Business Administrator was authorized to submit the final budget to the Executive County Superintendent for approval.
The board approved a suite of finance consent items as part of the same meeting: bill lists and payroll, budget transfers, tuition contracts for the Magnet School Program, certified tuition and related service rates for 2026–27, participation in Region V joint purchasing and transportation agreements, and a $500,000 withdrawal from the tuition reserve to support the 2026–27 operating budget.
The budget resolution passed on roll call with six yes votes and one no (Lori Hoffman). The board directed the Business Administrator to proceed with required filings and to return with any amendments or recommendations as new information (such as state aid or insurance renewal data) becomes available.
