$2.51M In Staff Cuts, Tax Increase In Bernards Township Preliminary School Budget

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — The district delivered grim news on Monday when it introduced its preliminary budget for the 2025-26 school year.

In order to close an almost $4.4 million budget gap, the Bernards Township School District must reduce staff by $2.51 million by May 5 and will also have to raise taxes.

The proposed budget of $128,523,243 for the 2025-26 school year is an increase of 3.97 percent or roughly $3.9 million over the 2024-25 budget.

"We are sharing the pain in this. There are going to be cuts to staff but also going to be increases to taxes so anyway you cut it this isn't great," said Boardmember David Shaw at the Monday night Board of Education meeting.

"Our district is as wonderful as it is because of the people who are here, who work here and teach our kids every single day. And I think it's painful to all of us to think that we have to make any changes," said Board President Jennifer White. "But that is just the hard reality that we are in so I really appreciate the time and effort that is being placed into trying to keep our schools as excellent as they are and keep our kids as well educated through the staff that they see every single day."

Superintendent Nick Markarian and Business Administrator James Rollo presented the budget on Monday.

When the Board began working on the budget, the district was initially facing a more than $6 million deficit on the revenue side, said Markarian.

With departmental cuts in expenses, the district was able to reduce the gap to about $5 million.

In February, the district was again hit with bad news that they are expected to get $247,891 or 3 percent less than last year in school aid.

Rollo noted that the largest driver in the budget can be attributed to healthcare costs. Additionally, other main factors included:

• Employee benefits, which is up $3.9 million or 21.65 percent
• Electricity, which is up $147,000 or 16.72 percent
• Custodial, which is up $486,505 or 15.74 percent
• Salaries, which is up $568,611 or 0.84 percent

"With healthcare benefits increasing over 21 percent, electricity 16 percent, custodial and grounds 13 percent, losing state aid - all those combined is a recipe for a tough year for us," said Shaw.

The average home property value projected in Bernards Township for 2025 will be around $871,769.11, with a tax bill of $9,542.89. Rollo estimated residents would see a tax increase of $405.92.

"We scrubbed the budget - health benefits, transportation, utilities, supply accounts, professional development, staff college, summer curriculum writing, textbooks - to get down to the $4.4 million gap," said Markarian.

To close the rest of the gap, Markarian said the district is looking at the other 60 percent of their budget, which is staff salaries. The district will be reducing staffing by $2.51 million.

"We will do that as painlessly as possible, but it is never painless to have to do those types of reductions. We will be looking across the board to be even-handed, to have the least impact on our students and the programs," said Markarian. "Everything from teachers to aides to support staff to administrators, we have to go through it all and come back on May 5 with where we stand and how we achieve that $2.5 million cut."

A public hearing and final vote on the budget is slated for May 5.

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