Tentative School Budget Increase To Be Discussed In Hillsborough

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ — An increase in the tentative budget for the Hillsborough School District will be discussed at the upcoming Board of Education(BOE) meeting.

The rescheduled BOE meeting will be held on Monday, March 23, at 7:30 p.m. at Auten Road School. The BOE had canceled its meeting on Monday, March 16, due to an incoming severe storm.

"This is a vital session where the Board will discuss the Tentative Budget for the upcoming year, specifically debating potential tax levy scenarios ranging from a 0 percent to a 2 percent increase," according to the school district.

"While this meeting marks a major milestone in our planning phase, please remember that the budget remains tentative for now and won't be officially finalized until the last week of April," continued the district.

This potential tax increase to residents follows the BOE's decision in April 2025 to take advantage of the state's Tax Incentive Aid option and approve the increase of the local tax levy by up to $22.9 million.

• Related: Hillsborough Approves School Tax Levy Increase Of $22.9M

The Tax Incentive Aid option allowed the district to get closer to adequacy by raising the general fund tax levy by $20 million, and they received an additional one-time $1 million in state aid for the 2026-27 school year.

The approval meant an average house in Hillsborough increased to $8,645, and $4,969 for an average house in Millstone for the 2025-26 year.

State Aid

Last Thursday, the state Department of Education released the 2026-27 state funding figures, showing that, yet again, the Hillsborough Township School District is getting less state aid.

The district is expected to get $519,761 less than last year in school aid from New Jersey as part of the latest state budget proposal.

• Related: Hillsborough Schools Will Get Less State Aid For 2026-27

For the 2026-27 school year, the district is slated to receive $16,858,333, or 3 percent less than in the 2025-26 school year. The district also received a three percent decrease in 2025-26.

"I am disappointed to see yet another reduction in state aid for the Hillsborough Township School District. Unfortunately, this has become a recurring challenge for our district under the current funding formula, and it is disheartening to see our community’s commitment to education met with decreased support," said Hillsborough Superintendent Michael Volpe.

"However, this was not unexpected. We prepared our budget estimating this decrease, and because of that proactive planning, we are prepared to manage these figures without compromising our core mission. Moving forward, we will remain steadfast and continue to advocate for fair, predictable funding that reflects the actual needs of Hillsborough’s students and taxpayers," said Volpe.

Since the S2 state school funding formula began the Hillsborough School District has lost more than $7 million since the 2018-19 school year.

Have a news tip? Email alexis.tarrazi@patch.com.