Holmdel School Board Talks Teacher Contracts, 2026-27 Budget Planning

HOLMDEL, NJ — The Holmdel Board of Education went over teacher contract agreements, budget preparations, and more during a recent school board meeting.

On Wednesday, March 18, the board met at 7 p.m. for its monthly committee of the whole meeting at Holmdel High School.

During the meeting, board members gave updates on recent developments within the district, including the new teacher contract agreement reached between the board and Holmdel Township Education Association (HTEA) in February.

• Read More: ‘Preparations, Patience & Perseverance’: Holmdel Teachers Reach New Contract Agreement

According to the memorandum of agreement posted on the district website, the contract agreement was reached on Feb. 20 and will run from July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2028.

The agreement follows almost a year of negotiations between the school board and teachers' union, during which both sides attended 11 negotiation meetings.

“As negotiations progressed, the negotiations team worked to balance multiple priorities, including fiscal sustainability and maintaining district operations,” Board Member Alison LoPresti said. “The final agreement reflects that balancing process.”

“The team prioritized clawing back certain contract language that carries significant long-term costs for the district,” she continued. “Preserving the custodial unit while addressing those provisions was viewed as the most responsible path forward.”

• Related: ‘Real Solutions’: Holmdel School Staff, Community Rally At School Board Meeting

During Wednesday night's meeting, the board was able to share some details of the new contract agreement with the public.

According to LoPresti, some key highlights include:

• Teachers historically did not perform institutional duties and will now perform two 53-minute or four 26-minute duties per month, which is anticipated to result in $150,000 in savings
• In years two and three of the contract, teachers will receive salary increases, though the raises remain below the county average
• Starting in the 2026-27 school year, teachers will have approximately 105 minutes of additional duties a month, which is anticipated to create operational flexibility to support efficiency and better alignment of resources going forward

“Negotiations require compromise and difficult decisions on all sides,” LoPresti said. “The team was not optimistic that it would get a more favorable outcome in fact-finding, not to mention the costs associated with going through that process.”

“In closing, it is important to recognize that agreements like this do not happen in a matter of weeks,” she continued. “The work that led to this settlement began nearly a year ago and involved countless hours of discussion, proposals and planning.”

“While the final stages of the process moved more quickly, they were built on months and months of negotiations that took place long before January.”

• Related: Teacher Contract Negotiations At An Impasse In Holmdel School District

In addition to the board’s update on the new teacher contract agreement, district officials also gave a glimpse into budget planning for the 2026-27 school year during Wednesday night's meeting.

According to Superintendent Dr. J. Scott Cascone, the district is facing a $5.3M structural deficit for the upcoming school year, and while Holmdel Schools are slated to receive a 1% increase in state aid for 2026-27, more still has to be done to close the gap.

One potential solution to help close that gap is a tax increase, Cascone said, the impact of which would be about $700 on the average household per year.

Alongside a potential tax increase, Cascone also spoke about potential staff cuts for the upcoming school year.

According to Cascone, the district has cut positions every year he’s been there, and while last year had minimal cuts, it was “a port in the storm” as the district continues to battle rising transportation and health care costs affecting schools across the state.

“We’re talking about a minimum of 28 cuts [for 2026-27],” Cascone said. “It could be more. We’re in the final stages of it. I’m trying to save those last ones, because as you go down that list, they get more painful.”

According to Board Vice President Kimberly Tuccillo, the reason the public may not have heard about staff cuts over the years is because many of them have been accomplished through retirement.

If a math teacher retired, for example, a “cut” may be achieved by the district not refilling that role.

“There have been cuts, but in a much quieter way,” Tuccillo said. “Because people retired and we just didn’t fill their positions.”

While the district will have to make some tough decisions to balance the budget for 2026-27, none of these proposals have been set in stone yet.

On Wednesday night, the board will meet again at the high school, where Cascone and Business Administrator/Board Secretary Deborah Donnelly will give an in-depth presentation on the 2026-27 budget plan.

During the meeting on March 18, Cascone and school board members alike emphasized the importance of community feedback and urged residents to attend meetings to voice their opinions and concerns.

To see a full recording of the board’s meeting on Wednesday, March 18, you can watch here.

Related

• NJ State Aid: See How Much Holmdel Schools Will Get
• ‘Preparations, Patience & Perseverance’: Holmdel Teachers Reach New Contract Agreement
• Holmdel School Staff Rally At Board Meeting Amidst Impasse In Teacher Contract Negotiations
• Teacher Contract Negotiations At An Impasse In Holmdel School District
• ‘Real Solutions’: Holmdel School Staff, Community Rally At School Board Meeting