Mendham school district proposes $27.3 million budget, plans 3.7% tax levy increase

Superintendent Dr. Sal Constantino presented the Mendham Township School District’s proposed 2026–2027 budget on June 22, describing a plan that balances educational priorities with financial constraints.

Dr. Constantino said the proposed budget totals about $27.3 million and initially reflected a structural gap of roughly $834,000 driven by rising salaries, employee benefits and special-education costs that outpaced revenue growth under the State’s 2% tax levy cap. He said roughly 95% of the budget is tied to essential services such as salaries, benefits, transportation and mandated special education, leaving limited flexibility for cuts without affecting programs or staff.

To address the gap, the district combined targeted staffing and operational reductions, transportation adjustments, renegotiated healthcare costs, expanded shared-service transportation agreements, increased tuition revenue and received a late state-aid increase. The superintendent said those measures resulted in a final tax levy increase of about 3.7%, equating to $12.10 per $100,000 of assessed value — approximately $149 annually for the average home — and projected relatively stable enrollment (about 834 students currently enrolled).

During public comment, resident George Koenig asked for detailed teacher-to-administrator ratios and how local achievement compares internationally; Dr. Constantino offered to provide the staffing breakdown after the meeting and said district-level international benchmarking is limited by differences in national assessment participation.