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Toms River presents $284.1 million tentative budget, warns tax levy may rise under current state aid
Summary
The Board of Education reviewed a $284.1 million tentative general fund budget described as a 5.4% increase and said a 4.9% tax levy rise could occur if state funding guardrails remain; administrators cited rising health care, special education and transportation costs and a multi‑million‑dollar shortfall in state aid.
The Board of Education of the Toms River Regional Schools on Wednesday detailed a $284,100,000 tentative general fund budget for 2026–27 and warned that, under current state aid calculations, the district could face a roughly 4.9% tax levy increase. Superintendent Sitton told the board that the proposed budget represents a 5.4% increase overall and is driven largely by health care, special education, transportation and utility cost pressures.
“State aid has gone up this year to $1,800,000, but the funding formula fell short,” Sitton said, adding that guardrails in the formula left the district materially short of projected allocations. Business administrator Doering later explained the revenue side and said the district has been shorted approximately $3.9 million this year relative to the formula, contributing to a cumulative $8.1 million loss over two years. Doering said taxes now fund about 82% of the general fund, compared with 66% a decade ago.
The board’s presentation broke the tentative budget into seven expenditure sections and one revenue section so the public could see line‑item allocations. Administrators said the budget remains tentative while the district continues conversations with state officials and legislative advocates about potential adjustments to the funding formula; they emphasized the district will attempt to cover shortfalls with miscellaneous revenue and selected use of reserves rather than across‑the‑board layoffs.
