Brick OKs $173M School Budget With Job Cuts, Tax Increase

BRICK, NJ — The Brick Township Board of Education approved a $178 million budget for the 2026-27 school year on on Thursday that includes a 5.84 percent increase in the tax levy and cuts 40 positions from the district.

Two-thirds of the tax increase — 3.84 percent — is due to a 15 percent increase in health insurance costs for the district, officials said.

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The approved budget, $178,329,479, includes a general fund of $163,119,022, and grants and entitlement funding of $15,210,457. The tax levy for the school budget is $142,640,431, including $5,177,304 for the increase in health insurance costs.

Superintendent Thomas Farrell said the budget was the most difficult one he has seen in his seven years in the district.

"To say that I feel that we are just keeping this ship afloat would be an understatement," Farrell said.

The budget reduces the district's staffing by 40 full-time positions, including 24 general education teaching positions, 12 special education positions, 5 basic skills interventionists, 2 academic coaches, 2 members of the facilities staff, a support staff member and one administrator "breakage" vacancy. Breakage typically refers to the cost of hiring a new person to replace someone with a higher salary who has retired or resigned.

The district hopes the reductions will be absorbed by retirements and attrition, rather than layoffs; there have been 24 retirements announced already, the district said.

The reductions will mean average class sizes of 27 students in the elementary schools, 25 in the middle schools and 24 in core subjects in the high schools, Farrell said.

School board president Mike Mesmer said the district is continuing to fight the state over school funding with an ongoing lawsuit that contends the district is owed more than it is receiving because of the 6 percent cap on increases in aid.

Business administrator James Edwards said the district should be receiving an additional $3 million for its special education students under the aid formula changes instituted for the 2025-26 school year.

Of the district's 8,214 students, 22.5 percent have individualized education programs that range from additional services in district to out-of-district placements.