Hillsborough School Board Debates 2% Tax Hike
- The Board of Education debated a proposed 2% tax increase ahead of the final budget vote. - Discussions focused on balancing school needs, preserving programs, and easing pressure on local taxpayers. - Board members continued talks and considered adjustments before the upcoming public vote ( patch.com ).
Hillsborough’s school board is still weighing a 2% tax-levy increase for the 2026-27 budget, with a final vote scheduled for April 30. (patch.com) Board President Joel Davis said at the April 13 meeting that the budget approved for introduction on March 23 was “still only a proposal,” and that members were considering whether to keep the 2% levy, trim it, or move to 0%. (patch.com, patch.com) The proposal now under debate would push the school tax bill on an average Hillsborough home assessed at $628,012 to $9,638.10 in 2026, an increase of $993.51, according to Patch’s report on the district presentation. (patch.com) The district says the pressure is coming from both sides: residents are asking for tax relief, while administrators and some board members say the budget is carrying staffing, special education, security, and facility needs into the next school year. (patch.com) Among the items Davis listed in the proposed budget were a kindergarten staffing increase of seven teachers, a kindergarten-through-sixth-grade literacy supervisor, a kindergarten-through-sixth-grade math supervisor, an autism teacher and two aides at Auten Road Intermediate School, 10 lunch aides, and a transportation and maintenance facility estimated at $7 million. (patch.com) Security spending is also part of the debate. The proposal includes districtwide weapons detection, automated license-plate readers, camera upgrades, and a swipe-access door-locking system, and Davis said some of those items would have to be cut back if the levy is reduced. (patch.com) State aid is another piece of the fight. Hillsborough is slated to receive $16,858,333 in state school aid for 2026-27, down $519,761 from the prior year, according to the New Jersey Department of Education figures cited by the district and Patch. (patch.com, nj.gov) That drop follows a 2025-26 budget cycle in which Hillsborough used New Jersey’s Tax Incentive Aid option to raise its levy by up to $22.9 million, bringing in roughly $20 million in local tax revenue and $1 million in one-time aid. (patch.com, htps.us) New Jersey school budgets are built on a calendar set by state law, and districts are required to post a user-friendly budget summary after the public hearing and approval process. Hillsborough’s board meetings are held at 7:30 p.m. at the Auten Road Intermediate School cafetorium, where the April 30 budget hearing is expected to decide whether the levy stays at 2% or comes down. (nj.gov, nj.gov, htps.us)
