Glen Rock board approves $59 million 2024–25 budget, cites security, textbooks and energy‑efficiency bonds

The Glen Rock Public School District board on Tuesday approved its $59,000,000 general fund budget for the 2024–25 school year, voting to raise the district tax levy by 3.4% to $52,900,000 while earmarking money for security, new textbooks and energy‑efficiency projects.

The budget presentation was delivered by Mr. Canales, who told trustees the proposal aligns spending with five district goals: security, community communications, instruction, climate and culture, and financial sustainability. He said 69% of the proposed budget would go to salaries and benefits, 12% to special‑education mandates, 9% to buildings and utilities, leaving about 10% for discretionary spending.

"We began back in October in engaging with our various stakeholders and budget owners," Mr. Canales said. "On a $59,000,000 budget, 10% is $5,900,000 or $2,300 a student to cover materials, books, sports, clubs — you name it." He outlined specific investments including two additional elementary‑school greeters (bringing coverage to all elementary schools), extended hours for middle‑ and high‑school greeters, new textbooks (including pre‑calculus and middle‑school science), and 2.5 full‑time‑equivalent instructional positions, among them a new special‑education teacher.

The presentation also included a planned energy‑savings refinancing: Mr. Canales said the district expects to close approximately $3,800,000 in energy savings refunding bonds on May 22; those proceeds will be used over 18 months to fund projects tied to an energy savings improvement plan (ESIP).

On revenues, Mr. Canales said state aid is rising by about $292,000 this year but noted that the district expects future state aid to be flat because a state redistribution program (referred to in the presentation as S‑2) has completed its final year. The board will continue to use $1.5 million of fund balance and a local revenue increase driven largely by nonresident and tuition payments in special‑education programs.

Trustees asked clarifying questions about "referendum savings," which Mr. Canales described as contingency amounts and time‑escalation allowances from a prior $14.7 million referendum that were not spent; by statute those savings can be used for tax relief or principal payments on bonds, and the district has applied them to reduce debt service.

After the presentation the board opened the public hearing on the budget; no members of the public spoke during that budget‑specific comment period. The board subsequently approved budget resolutions B1 and B2 (the motion passed with one abstention recorded on B1) and completed roll calls approving additional budget and general resolutions and a personnel consent agenda covering items P1–P25, which included approval of a new head football coach.

The meeting also included a tribute to Wendy Roche, a longtime district art teacher who died April 22; trustees and a public commenter, Colleen Manley, described Roche as a gifted, inspiring educator. "Wendy Roche... a passionate, inspirational individual," Manley said during public comment.

The board announced that a Coleman School siren will be silenced during school days following a town council decision and recessed into a brief closed session with no action expected.

What happens next: approved budget resolutions become part of the district's 2024–25 fiscal plan; the board and administration will proceed with procurement and implementation of the items described in the presentation and the ESIP refinancing expected in late May.