Little Egg Harbor Township board adopts 2024–25 school budget, taps banked tax levy to preserve jobs

The Little Egg Harbor Township Board of Education voted to adopt the district's 2024 6–25 budget and to apply its available "banked cap" to the tax levy, a move administrators said is necessary after an approximately $1.5 million reduction in state aid.

District administrators presented the budget at a public hearing, telling the board that the formal budget process begins each October and culminated in an initial adoption in March. County review returned the document without substantive financial changes, but the later state-aid reduction prompted administrators to propose using previously banked tax capacity to preserve positions for students.

The adopted levy figure presented by the business administrator that evening (reported on the agenda as roughly 15,737,000) includes the increase created by applying the full banked cap. Administration explained that using the banked cap raises the average annual tax impact per household compared with a normal 2% increase but allows the district to avoid staff layoffs that officials said would otherwise be necessary.

Administrators told the board the district is constrained by mandatory costs that make roughly 97% of spending inflexible: salaries are the largest appropriation, followed by health benefits and contracted transportation. Other drivers cited were higher Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS) contributions, rising health-care costs, and the need to reclassify positions previously funded with one-time federal ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) funds.

"We need help," the superintendent told the meeting, urging residents to contact state lawmakers and describing recent outreach to legislators including Sen. Amato and an assembly member listed on the presentation. Administrators provided a web link and encouraged PTO fundraising and constituent advocacy as interim supports while the board seeks stabilization aid at the state level.

During public comment, one resident (identified in the meeting as Liz) asked about projected class sizes. Administration said kindergarten classes are expected to average about 20 6 21 students, most elementary classes will remain under 25, and grades 3 66 are expected between 25 and 26; sixth-grade sections were noted as higher in some cases (one reported at 28) while staffing remains to be finalized.

A second commenter asked how special-education placements would be affected. A staff member, identified in the hearing as Kelly, said special-education classroom sizes and supports are governed by state code and that the district is complying with those legal maximums, describing example maximums given in the meeting (e.g., certain assist classrooms capped at six, other special classes capped at 12, with one-to-one aides required by code in some instances).

The board took routine finance and personnel motions and recorded a roll-call vote; the transcript records the motion as carried. The meeting then moved to an executive session not open to the public and closed by announcing the next regular meeting date.

Administration said the district will continue to pursue state stabilization aid that could reduce required cuts in the coming months, and officials asked the community to contact legislators and support local fundraising efforts.