Ridgewood board previews preliminary $138M budget, holds tax levy to 2%

Administrators for the Ridgewood Public School District presented a preliminary $138M-range 2024–25 spending plan and told the Board of Education the district will submit the advertised budget to the county by the March 20 deadline. Superintendent Dr. Schwarz framed the presentation as a two-stage public process that sets appropriations now and reserves the final tax-levy vote for the advertised hearing on April 29.

Business administrator Miss Cot told the board she began the budget work from the 2022–23 audit, identifying accumulated surpluses and realigning accounts rather than applying flat increases. She listed main cost pressures: a contract year for teacher and secretarial unions, an anticipated 9–12% rise in health-benefit costs, rising out-of-district special-education tuition, transportation increases, and higher utilities and vendor fees. “We were able to produce a budget that stays at the 2% tax levy,” she said during the presentation.

The presenters described revenue assumptions and one-time supports: local property taxes remain the primary revenue source (about 78% of the operating budget), state and federal grants and tuition revenues comprise smaller shares, and the district is planning a one-time use of capital reserves—approximately $6.84 million—to fund three capital projects that were identified as eligible for ROD grants (the state share is expected to cover up to 40% of those projects’ costs). The administration also plans withdrawals of $1.5 million from maintenance reserve and $0.5 million from emergency reserve to offset near-term operating costs.

Board members pressed administrators for greater detail in several areas. Questions included the allocation of Aramark contract costs among custodial, grounds and maintenance lines; the large increase in out-of-district tuition (noted in the presentation as approximately $9.1 million versus earlier years’ lower figures); whether community-school revenues will offset the planned Community School expenditures; and the composition of the district security line (school resource officer share versus in-house security specialist, cameras and event security costs). Administrators said further analysis and committee follow-up would be provided.

Members also discussed a continuing downward enrollment trend and encouraged demographic and room-utilization analyses. Several board members recommended exploring recruitment of tuition-paying international students as a potential revenue stream, with administration agreeing to research where prior efforts had left off. The budget team noted differences between locally maintained enrollment counts and the state’s October 15 AESA counts, which affect state aid calculations.

Administrators emphasized curricular investments included in the plan: targeted professional development, a K–5 focus on the science of reading, K–5 math supports, a planned reevaluation of gifted-and-talented programming, and new course offerings at Ridgewood High School (including additional AP subjects, cybersecurity, engineering and others). Mr. Freeman outlined several proposed course additions and a Middle School 101 transition course to be offered in the elective cycle.

The presentation included a reminder of process and timing: the preliminary budget will be submitted to the county for review, the advertised budget (with required newspaper posting) will precede the final public hearing, and the board is expected to vote on the final budget at the April 29 meeting. Administrators cautioned that the current use of reserves and one-time capital-reserve withdrawals is not sustainable long term and urged the board to consider structural options for future years.

Next steps: the administration will provide more detailed breakdowns requested by board members, the finance committee will reconvene for deeper analysis of out-of-district tuition, Community School revenues, and enrollment trends, and the district will present the advertised budget and hold a public hearing on April 29.