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Old Bridge board submits tentative 2026–27 budget after $1 administrative correction; public hearing set for May 5
Summary
The Old Bridge Township Board of Education voted March 23 to submit an administratively corrected tentative 2026–27 budget to Middlesex County (a $1 recapitulation correction), approved related finance resolutions including a capital-reserve withdrawal for a roof section, and set a May 5 public hearing. One board member voted no and one abstained on the tentative-budget submission.
The Old Bridge Township Board of Education voted March 23 to submit its tentative 2026–27 budget to Middlesex County after an administratively required $1 correction in the debt-service recapitulation.
The correction — described by board business administrator Mister Wiedell as a rounding artifact in the state budget software — reduces an anticipated revenue line by $1 and lowers the debt-service tax levy by $1. Wiedell said the change will be posted on the district website and the revised tentative-budget resolution (resolution 18) was adopted to permit county review.
Why it matters: the tentative submission is a procedural step required by state and county offices; it allows the district to meet filing deadlines while administration continues to pursue additional savings before final adoption in May. Wiedell and Superintendent Doctor Sasso told the board they will continue insurance and line-by-line reviews and that any changes between tonight’s submission and final adoption must be publicly announced at the May hearing.
Board action and related votes: the board approved finance resolutions 1–14 as a block and then considered resolutions 15–19 separately. Resolution 15 authorized a capital-reserve account withdrawal to fund a partial roof replacement (the board identified the section as “Roof U,” near the 516 side; the work would affect the library/auditorium wing) and passed by roll call. Resolution 16, a template for travel and related expense reimbursement, passed. Resolution 17, an allowable adjustment for increased health-care costs, passed after discussion about anticipated medical and prescription cost increases. Resolution 18, the administratively corrected tentative-budget adoption for submission to Middlesex County, passed by roll call with the following recorded positions: Mister Slade — yes; Mister Solakowski — no; Mister Venkatasen — yes; Miss Dantuno — yes; Mister Dunn — yes; Miss Jodrey — yes; Miss Mazzone — yes; Miss Richards Patterson — abstain; Miss Francisco — yes. Resolution 19 set the public hearing for the tentative budget on May 5, 2026, at 7 p.m.
Board members stressed the provisional nature of the vote. "A yes vote today does not adopt the final budget — it simply allows us to submit the tentative budget to the county for review," Wiedell told the board. Several members praised administration’s work to identify efficiencies and urged continued effort to reduce program impacts before the May adoption vote.
What's next: the district will post the administratively corrected tentative budget on its website and host the public hearing on May 5. Administration said it will continue meetings with insurers and brokers and present any final changes at that public hearing before a final adoption vote in May.
