By BRIAN DONOHUE
A photo from the 2025 Red Bank Borough Board of Education budget hearing.
In a community update and presentation to the Board of Education last week, Superintendent Jared Rumage cited “significant fiscal obstacles” including a $2.2 million increase in health benefits costs, rising special education and transportation expenses, and declining state and federal funding.
“To protect our staff, programs, and class sizes, the district has utilized a state waiver that allows us to exceed the standard 2% tax levy cap to cover approximately 75% of the healthcare premium increase,” Rumage wrote in a community update posted to the Board of Education website March 19. “For many years, we managed to maintain a tax levy increase at or near the 2% cap. Unfortunately, the extraordinary health care increases facing districts across the State offer us no option but to access the available health benefits waiver.”
He continued: “Therefore, the 9.52% tax levy increase is a reality and was tentatively approved on March 17 by our Board of Education upon my recommendation. Because of this strategic move to access these funds, we do not expect any budget-related cuts to impact our staff or programs at this time.”
A public hearing and expected vote on the $45.2 million budget is scheduled for April 28.
The proposed 9.5 percent increase in the tax levy follows a nearly ten percent increase last year.
It comes as school districts across the state grapple with what the head of the Garden State Coalition of Schools last week called a “perfect storm” of rising costs and aid shortfalls.
Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s budget allocates $12.4 billion for K-12 formula aid, a 3.1% or $370 million increase. As in previous years, the complicated school funding formula resulted in some districts receiving increases in state aid and others seeing their funding cut.
In her March 10 budget address, Sherril called for more consolidation and shared services among New Jersey’s 600-plus school districts.
According to preliminary state aid figures announced earlier this month, Red Bank’s schools will receive $12.4 million in state aid, a three percent decrease compared to last year.
Red Bank Regional High School District, by contrast, received a six percent increase, according to published figures. Those figures are subject to change as final state and district budgets are hammered out.
The Red Bank Borough Board of Education oversees the Red Bank Primary School and the Red Bank Middle School, which enroll a combined 1,137 students.
The 9.5 percent hike applies to the tax levy, which is the total dollar amount raised by taxes to support schools.
Percentage increases for individual property owners can vary depending on a number of factors, including changing assessments on a given property.
School taxes make up the largest portion of residents’ property tax bills. The Borough of Red Bank, Monmouth County and Red Bank Regional High School district set the rates for their portion of tax bills separately.
The April 28 budget hearing will be held at 7 pm at the Red Bank Primary School, 222 River Street.
redbankgreen editor Brian Donohue may be reached via email at [email protected] or by calling or texting 848-331-8331.
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