Edison BOE Reverses Course, Accepts Pre-K Grant, But Now Faces $3.7M Budget Gap

EDISON, NJ — The Edison Board of Education voted unanimously Tuesday to accept a $2.3 million state preschool grant it had rejected earlier in the same meeting, reversing course after board members said they were confused by the resolution's wording — but the move left the district facing a $3.7 million funding gap it has not yet explained how it will close.

The reversal came after a board member asked to revisit the earlier vote, saying the grant rejection had appeared on the agenda alongside other items rather than as a standalone resolution, causing confusion. Other board members, agreed they wanted to change their votes.

The procedural tangle stemmed from how the resolution was written: a "yes" vote meant rejecting the grant, while a "no" vote meant accepting it. After a second vote was called, all seven members present voted "no" on the rejection — effectively accepting the Preschool Education Aid, which funds pre-K for 3- and 4-year-olds at licensed private childcare centers and district preschools in the 2026-27 school year.

But accepting the grant came with a significant catch. Business Administrator Jonathan Toth told the board that while the district could accept the state aid, the budget approved earlier in the evening does not include the district's required local matching contribution. To fully fund the program, the district would need to find $3.7 million from elsewhere.

"That's not $50,000 — that's a big, big move," Toth said.

Board President Vishal Patel initially warned colleagues that voting to accept the grant would effectively unravel the budget the board had passed hours earlier. Toth clarified that the budget would not technically fail, but said the district would still need to identify the $3.7 million in local share — a task he described as significant.

Superintendent Edward Aldarelli confirmed the adopted budget does not account for preschool funding or the matching contribution required to support the grant.

The board did not identify a funding source Tuesday night. Officials said the matter would be addressed at the next board meeting.

The pre-K reversal came at the end of a four-hour meeting during which the board also approved a revised $352.3 million budget that cut $20 million in spending, eliminated approximately 80 positions and reduced a proposed 12% tax increase to 6%. That budget had originally eliminated the district-funded preschool program entirely. Several residents urged the board during public comment to preserve pre-K access, with one parent calling early childhood education "essential, not a luxury."

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