Middletown School Budget Hearings Continue

MIDDLETOWN, NJ — Discussions continue over Middletown's schools budget for the next school year, 2019/2020.

The next two public meetings on the budget will be March 7 and March 11, both at 7:00 p.m. at High School North Library (63 Tindall Road, Middletown, NJ).

The public can continue to weigh in on the budget at those two meetings. March 20 will be a special voting meeting to approve the tentative budget.

Middletown public schools are currently in a bit of a budget crisis: The school system saw a $400,000 reduction in state aid this year, and a four percent increase in teachers' health insurance costs, about $850,000, reported the Asbury Park Press. The Middletown school district also only has about $150,000 in a capital improvements reserve fund, and there is a growing list of improvements that are needed at the schools, the district says.

As with most suburban New Jersey towns, the school budget makes the largest portion of Middletown property owners' tax bill.