$166M Tentative Budget OK'd For Brick Schools

BRICK, NJ — The Brick Township Board of Education has introduced a $166 million tentative budget for the 2025-26 school year.

The tentative budget was introduced at Tuesday night's board meeting, with Superintendent Thomas Farrell emphasizing the word "tentative."

"The process is very fluid and ever-changing," Farrell said, noting that the district is still awaiting guidance from the state Department of Education "on revenue options and projections."

The district will hold its budget hearing at 7 p.m. April 28 at the Professional Development Center on Hendrickson Boulevard.

Farrell said the tentative budget is based on the expenditures for the 2024-25 school year and includes no increase. However, there will need to be adjustments as the district will see increases of what Farrell estimated at about 5 percent in salaries and benefits.

The district is slated to receive $15,390,753 in state aid under Gov. Phil Murphy's proposed budget, an increase of 6 percent over 2024-25.

The increase does little to address the district's $28 million gap in adequacy, the amount the state Department of Education says Brick Township should be spending to provide students with a thorough and efficient education as set by the state Constitution.

The state also says the Brick Township Schools' property tax levy is $40 million below its local fair share, the amount is says the district should be taxing its residents.

Farrell said the district is awaiting additional guidance from the state on the tax levy, and he is hearing there may be some potential additional revenue to help close the adequacy gap.

"I thought this year would change timeline-wise. It didn't," Farrell said, referring to statements last year from state legislators about trying to adjust so school districts aren't left scrambling during their budget process.

"It shouldn't be this fluid," he said.