On April 7, 2025, the Roxbury Township Board of Education held a special meeting to discuss the Fiscal Year 2026 budget. If you’ve been hearing about state aid cuts, rising costs, or concerns about programs in our schools, here’s what you need to know — and how it could impact your family.

💸 State Aid: A Bigger Hit Than Expected

Since 2019, Roxbury has lost over $7.7 million in state aid — far more than the $4.5 million reduction originally projected under state legislation (NJ S2). The state has deemed Roxbury an “overfunded” district based on formulas that weigh enrollment, local property values, and household income.

In the 2025–26 school year alone, Roxbury is losing another $416,770 in state aid compared to this year. Most notably, the district is receiving zero equalization aid, down from $3.4 million the year before.

🧮 Rising Costs & a $7 Million Budget Gap

Costs are going up — a lot. Here are some big-ticket increases contributing to a $7 million budget deficit:

• Salaries: A 3.4% increase district-wide – $1.6 million
• Health benefits: Up 15% – $2.13 million
• Special Education Budget Increases: Six additional out-of-district placements – $1.3 million
• Insurance & transportation: Nearly $750,000 combined

Special education costs can be high — one out-of-district placement can cost up to $335,000 per student per year (covering tuition, transportation, additional services, i.e., individualized aide, one to one nurse)

✅ What’s Being Done to Close the Gap?

To balance the budget without cutting essential services, the district is taking a multi-pronged approach:

• Cutting school budgets by 10%
• Reducing the curriculum budget
• Not replacing 15 staff positions (all through attrition, assistant superintendent Seipp is leaving and his position will not be replaced)
• Delaying Chromebook upgrades
• Using reserve funds and grant money (e.g., IDEA funds)
• Using “banked cap” to legally exceed the 2% property tax cap

✅ Important: No current staff members in good standing will lose their jobs.

💡 Looking Forward: Smarter Special Ed Spending

To manage rising special education costs, the district is exploring in-district programs that would offer the same high-quality services at lower cost — and even attract tuition-paying students from other towns.

🏠 What Does This Mean for Your Taxes?

For a home assessed at $400,000, your estimated school tax bill would increase from $6,980 to $7,344 — about $364 more per year.

🌐 Roxbury Is Not Alone

Districts across New Jersey are feeling the squeeze:

• Wayne: Cutting 40 staff positions
• Middletown: Closing 2 elementary schools
• Plainfield: Proposing a 36% tax hike

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👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Final Thoughts for Parents It is important to remember, this isn’t just a numbers game — it’s about our kids. The Board of Education and district leadership are tasked with ensuring our students continue to thrive, even under serious financial pressure. As parents it’s important to stay informed, ask questions, and get involved.

For the full budget presentation, click here.

You can watch the meeting here.