Hoboken School Board Introduces $104.8M Budget With Tax Increase

HOBOKEN, NJ — The Hoboken Board of Education voted to introduce a $104.8 million school budget on Monday, including a more than 20 percent increase in the amount funded by taxes.

Superintendent Dr. Christine Johnson said the increases in spending and taxes were due, in part, to rises in health insurance costs for staff, and hiring to match enrollment growth.

If the spending plan receives final approval, it could mean a $823 per year school tax increase for the owner of an average $532,000 Hoboken home, Johnson told the board.

However, the vote was only to introduce a preliminary budget. The spending plan will go to a final vote at a future meeting, after a public hearing. Changes can be made before the final vote.

"This was a very challenging year in regard to the construction of the budget for so many reasons," Johnson said at the beginning of the 50-minute meeting.

She noted that health insurance costs for employees are projected to rise as much as 32-27 percent during the 2026-2027 school year. School employees receive state health benefits.

Salary costs will also be increase, Johnson noted, as the district is projected to have 211 more students in K-12 next year, which means new hires.

"[It's] like adding more than half of an additional Connors Elementary School," she said, referring to one of the three elementary schools in the mile-square city.

Besides three K-5 elementary schools, the district has a high school, one middle school, and pre-K programs.

Costs are also rising for students with special needs who require out-of-town tuition and transportation, she said.

Spending is up $16.4 million over last year's $88.4M plan. The amount coming from taxes will be $93.8 million, around a $20 million increase over the past year.

The district did receive an additional $1.1 million in state aid, Johnson said.

School districts are largely funded by taxes, state aid, federal aid, and small amounts from rents and other revenue.

Property owners in Hoboken pay taxes that are affected by three budgets — the city (which also may rise 20 percent), the schools, and the Hudson County budget. All three are proposed each spring.

The nine-member board voted unanimously to introduce the budget.

Public Comment

Despite the tax increase, the meeting drew only two audience members, one of whom was a local official.

"Deja vu," wrote 2nd Ward Councilwoman Tiffanie Fisher on social media later. "For the second year, I sat in a nearly empty room at the Hoboken Board of Education budget introduction tonight."

Fisher was the only person to address the board at the meeting. She discussed revenue sources, saying there's more interest in city recreation programs, but they are few spaces, so perhaps the schools could rent more space to city programs.

On Wednesday, Fisher said, "The school and city budgets together are what residents actually feel, and both are pointing to significant increases this year. This is the result of rising costs over time and not making the structural changes needed to keep them in check ... We need structural changes — not just short-term cuts."

She said she won't accept budgets unless there is progress in this regard.

See the meeting here.

Watch for the date of the next meeting and hearing here.