Lacey Township board presents tentative 2026–27 budget; approves $3.32M health-benefits adjustment after hours of public comment

The Lacey Township Board of Education reviewed a tentative 2026–27 budget presentation and heard more than a dozen public comments Thursday before approving a walk-on resolution to add $3,318,509 to the final budget to cover increased health-benefit premiums.

Superintendent (presenter) told the board the submission is a tentative adoption, with a formal adoption scheduled for May 5, and stressed it is the first time in nine years the district has prepared a tentative budget that does not cut instructional teachers. The presentation said the district plans to replace retiring teachers and avoid cuts to transportation and core instructional programs, while identifying reductions in paraprofessional positions, some administrative staff and co‑curricular supplies.

The presentation flagged two major cost drivers: the state health benefits program and utility prices. The superintendent said the district projected roughly a 30% increase in medical and dental benefits — quantified in the presentation as about $4,100,000 — and a near 39% increase in natural gas and electric. Those increases, the presentation said, are largely driven by the state-run benefits plan and market utility costs and must be accounted for under the revenue caps that constrain local property-tax increases.

On revenues, the presenter described the tentative operating levy as including the statutory 2% tax levy plus a permitted 5.1% health-benefit waiver increase; he characterized the resulting net change as approximately a 5.87% increase over 2025–26 for the district under current assumptions and noted that final figures remain contingent on tax-assessor data.

The presentation also updated the board on the district’s bond referendum financing: the district competitively sold about $28 million in referendum bonds on Feb. 25, received seven bids and secured a net interest cost near 3.58% (awarded to Roosevelt Cross). The speaker said timing saved the district approximately $2.5 million and that Moody’s assigned an A rating; projects funded by the sale are slated to begin this summer.

The public-comment period that followed focused heavily on personnel and students’ needs. Retired appellate attorney Pat Doyle praised teachers and urged the board to consider investments in leadership and operational changes, including exploring outsourcing cafeteria services as one option. Multiple current and former district staff — including paraprofessionals and classroom teachers — urged the board not to balance the budget on staff cuts or reduced medical benefits, described hardships from an expired contract and warned of the effects on students if para and health‑aid positions are eliminated.

A parent, Ashley Meyer, told the board she had repeatedly sought help after her son did not receive services specified in his IEP and said the State Department of Education ordered the district to compensate her son and to review special‑education policies and staff training. Board members acknowledged the remarks and several said they heard the concerns.

Other public commenters pressed for greater transparency about district spending. One speaker, Richard Bidnick, criticized changes to how monthly expenditures are published and said he could not find electronic payments and benefit payments in the new check-register format.

After the public comments and committee reports, the board processed routine consent‑agenda items (minutes, bills, transfers, personnel actions) via roll-call votes. The board then took up and approved a walk-on resolution to include a $3,318,509 health-benefit cost adjustment in the final budget; the motion passed on roll call with all present members recorded as voting yes.

What comes next: the superintendent said the district will post budget materials online and hold a public budget workshop on April 28; formal adoption is scheduled for May 5, pending county approval and final assessor numbers.

Votes at a glance
- Motion to convene executive session for confidential student, personnel and legal matters: moved, seconded and approved by voice vote during opening (no individual roll tally published).
- Consent agenda (minutes, bills, transfers, personnel items, certificated and noncertificated personnel): processed via motions and roll-call approvals; roll calls in the transcript show board members recorded as voting yes on those items.
- Walk-on resolution to include a health-benefit adjustment of $3,318,509 in the final budget: moved, seconded and approved on roll call (yeas recorded).

Authorities and references cited in meeting
- New Jersey Open Public Meetings Act (notice/filing requirement noted at opening)
- State Department of Education (referenced by a parent as having ordered compensation and review for special-education services)
- Freedom to Read Act (referenced during a policy committee update regarding library material policy changes)

Ending note: The district emphasized that the budget materials discussed are tentative and contingent on final tax-assessor figures; the board scheduled an April 28 public workshop and set May 5 as the target for final budget adoption.