FREEHOLD – The loss of another 3% in state aid framed a budget presentation at the most recent Freehold Regional High School District Board of Education meeting.
Superintendent Dr. Nicole Hazel reported that the funding formula proposed by the current state administration included guardrails. A single district could not lose more than 3% or gain more than 6% of its total state aid.
This means the Freehold Regional High School District lost the maximum amount of state aid it could, she said.
That 3%, converted to a dollar amount, is roughly $889,000, according to Hazel. She also noted that if the guardrails were not included in the budget formula, the district would have lost even more state aid.
The Freehold Regional High School District will receive roughly $29 million in state aid this year, a steep overall drop-off from 2016, when it received $51 million.
Hazel noted that the current budget formula underestimates health care, transportation, and salary costs, as well as overall inflation. She also noted that many districts across the state are pushing for an up-to-date funding formula that will provide long-term stability.
In relation to the state aid issue, the board also took the time to adopt the preliminary budget for school year 2026-2027. The preliminary budget is looking to spend $246.3 million, of which $196.8 million would come from taxes.
This budget is not the final budget, which will be adopted on April 30; it is just the budget that will be forwarded to the county superintendent.
In addition to the discussion of state aid, the district also previewed some of the facility improvements that will result from the 2026-2027 budget. According to Hazel, the district’s goal is to commit $10-12 million to facility improvements.
The most important of these improvements involves security, as the district plans to complete its security camera upgrades across all schools, she explained. Other security improvements include installing a security panic button at all schools and upgrading the fire alarm/notification system at all schools.
Regarding infrastructure improvements, the district plans to upgrade its water treatment center at Colts Neck High School and the generators at all its schools. Other improvements that the district is looking to make include air conditioning upgrades, chiller replacements, roof-top HVAC unit replacements, and boiler replacements.
They will also be doing work this summer on the roofs at Howell, Manalapan, and Marlboro high schools, while paving the parking lot at Marlboro High School. Several high schools will receive upgrades to their gym floors and bleachers, as well as their tennis courts. In terms of instructional spaces upgrades, several improvements will be made to the science labs.
The full budget for the next school year will be adopted at the April meeting. That will take place on April 30 at 6:30 p.m. at the administration building in Englishtown.
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