Holmdel Schools Approve 2026-27 Budget Plan: See Details

HOLMDEL, NJ — The Holmdel Township Board of Education recently approved its final budget plan for the 2026-27 school year, which includes a tax increase, staff cuts and the elimination of courtesy busing.

The budget approval follows a presentation by Superintendent Dr. J. Scott Cascone and Business Administrator & Board Secretary Deborah Donnelly of the district’s tentative budget plan toward the end of March.

• Read More: Holmdel Schools Introduce 2026-27 Tentative Budget Plan

In a majority vote, the board approved the final budget for the upcoming school year during its meeting on Wednesday, April 29. Board members Alison LoPresti and Anthony Libecci voted “no.”

“We found a port in the storm,” Cascone said of this year’s budget plan. “And that’s not to say that finding that port in the storm this year, with the budget, was not without some sacrifices.”

“Whether that’s sacrifices in reduction in positions, whether that’s sacrifices that are going to be borne by the taxpayers in the form of the tax increase, or whether that’s sacrifices borne in things that we simply could not fund through this budget — namely, courtesy busing,” he continued. “We understand that that’s going to involve sacrifices from our community, but that’s the time in which we’re living.”

“We can’t move forward, and we certainly can’t maintain the identity and the landscape of this district without sacrifice – collective sacrifice.”

Throughout the board’s final budget presentation, the district outlined what these sacrifices will look like for the upcoming school year – ranging from staff cuts to a tax increase and the elimination of courtesy busing.

According to the 2026-27 Final Budget Presentation, 15 full-time certificated positions will be cut, though nine of those employees will be retained by the district through attrition (ie, those educators can be moved into a position that’s been vacated due to a retirement or resignation).

Additionally, 6.5 uncertificated ESPs (paraprofessional, administrative assistant, custodian) will be cut, though three employees will be saved by attrition.

Staffing adjustments will also be made for two part-time certificated staff (both instructional) and seven hourly employees (lunch aides).

Though many positions are being reduced, the district was able to reinstate the dance program for the 2026-27 school year and approved the sale of the Addy Lubkert house on 34 Crawfords Corner Road to the township for $1.03 million.

According to Donnelly, the district will be using the sale money to add to its fund balance, which will bring it to the statutory requirement.

“We have been below the statutory requirement, and the county was prepared to have us on a corrective action plan, reviewing our budgets quarterly with myself and Dr. Cascone,” Donnelly said. “But by doing this, we put money into emergency reserves. This is money that we’re required to have so that there is money to fall back on in the event of an emergency.”

“We were running significantly low, and were able to add about $550,000 at the end of June 2025,” she continued. “And now this [funds from the sale] gets us at the statutory level.”

Alongside staff cuts and the sale of the Addy Lubkert house, the board also approved an annual tax increase and the elimination of courtesy busing.

According to the budget presentation, the tax increase would consist of $762.10 per year (or $63.51 per month) on the average residential home assessed value of $1,129,951.

Courtesy busing was also cut, which is estimated by the district to cost about $625,000 annually.

According to the district website, courtesy busing is provided to students who reside within the “statutory walking distance” to school – for students in grades K-8, that’s under two miles. For students in grades 9-12, it’s under 2.5 miles.

Following the approval of the 2026-27 school budget, the district plans to send out an eligibility chart and survey to families who are currently receiving courtesy busing to gauge interest in a subscription-based transportation program.

Once that survey closes, the district said it will design the most efficient routes based on participating students’ addresses.

These routes will then be bid out to private transportation providers and the total cost of each route will be shared equally among participating families assigned to that route.

According to the district website, a minimum level of interest/participation may be necessary to initiate a subscription bus service.

To watch a full recording of the board’s April 29 meeting, you can watch here.

The district’s final 2026-27 budget presentation can be found here.

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