Old Bridge board presents tentative 2026-27 budget, warns health-care costs driving cuts and possible school consolidation

The Old Bridge Township Board of Education on May 5 presented its tentative 2026-27 budget to the public, emphasizing that runaway health-care costs have forced administrators to find more than $11 million in reductions and may require further program and staffing cuts, redistricting and even school closures.

"This budget presentation is not about numbers. It's about people," Superintendent Vincent Sasso said as he framed the district's priorities and defended a line-by-line effort to cut costs while protecting students and staff.

School business administrator and board secretary David Wiedell reviewed the district's finances, reporting an unassigned surplus of $2,737,379 at the start of the 2025-26 year and a tentative local tax levy of $166,742,927. Wiedell said the district used $3,408,950 of the state's allowable adjustment for health-care costs after the state health benefits program rose by about 31.9 percent; the allowable adjustment for local levies was stated as 29.9 percent for 2026-27.

Wiedell said administration has reduced expenditures by more than $11,000,000 in five months through staffing attrition, contract negotiations, prescription self-insurance changes and other line-item cuts. He also described upcoming revisions to the tentative budget intended to produce an additional roughly $1.4 million in savings. Proposed reductions listed by staff include cuts to K–5 teacher positions and resource/basic-skills staffing, lower school-administration support services, trimmed general supplies, reduced grounds maintenance and electricity, and changes to some purchased professional services for security balanced by planned increased central security spending.

The administration cautioned that trimming employee benefits to lower expenditures could slightly reduce the district's allowable health-care levy adjustment, requiring additional savings elsewhere to preserve balance. Wiedell said that without the $11 million in reductions the district would have faced much larger levy increases and a deeper structural shortfall.

Board members asked about the consequences of a "no" vote on next week's adoption. Wiedell said the typical process is that a failed local adoption would go to the county (and possibly to the state). "We're not sure if the county would say cut $9,000,000 in expenditures, or would they say raise your levy anyway," Wiedell said, warning that a large shortfall could force large program and staff cuts and possible reductions to kindergarten, middle-school programming, athletics and extracurriculars.

Parents and community groups urged caution about proposed structural changes. Ryan Sobin, identified as OVA president, said his association supports approving the budget because it preserves core programs and staffing, but warned that a school closure and the narrowing of elementary music and world-language programs represent meaningful losses for students. "Supporting this budget doesn't mean we are comfortable with the losses it entails," Sobin said, urging the board to continue advocacy for restored funding.

Two parents from Gordon Cooper Elementary urged the board to keep the school open and to mitigate the impact of proposed changes. William Wolf said the decision would "uproot" about 216 children and described parents' efforts to oppose closure, including petitions and consultations with lawyers. Pamela Ramos said elimination of late buses and other service cuts would create real hardships, and asked the district to consider paid transportation options so students can continue participating in extracurriculars.

The board repeatedly praised the administration's work and reiterated the difficulty of the decisions ahead. Members encouraged residents to attend the May 12 agenda session, when the board plans to vote on adoption, and said staff will post the presentation materials and supporting documents on the district website.

No formal adoption vote was taken at the May 5 hearing; the board moved into executive session for personnel matters after closing public comment. Brooke Richards Patterson made the motion to enter executive session, and a fellow board member seconded it.

The board will hold the formal adoption vote at its May 12 agenda meeting at 7 p.m. in the auditorium; administrators said updated slides will be presented at that meeting reflecting minor changes to levy impact after proposed adjustments.