The Bordentown Regional School District is facing another difficult budget season, according to School interim Superintendent Edward Forsthoffer.
With that, the district has been floating around a number of program changes since the budget process began last year. Some are off the table as of the introduction of the tentative 2025-26 budget in March, but some are still essentially floating.
A public hearing and final adoption of the $53.3 million spending plan is scheduled in May.
School taxes are one item on a property owner’s total tax bill, which also includes municipal taxes from Bordentown Township, Bordentown City and Fieldsboro, and Burlington County taxes.
The main drivers of the budget continue to be regular programs – instruction at $10.82 million, with a proposed reduction of $1.88 million from last school year, and total special education – instruction at $2.65 million, with a proposed reduction of $1.97 million.
Special education tuition is proposed to increase $481,699 to $3.24 million, special education extraordinary services is proposed to increase 118.67% from $58,516 to $127,957. Bilingual education is increasing 145.58% from $64,950 to $161,963.
Forsthoffer said the district is working on reeling in the special services budget, which is proposed to have a less than 1% increase from $6.97 million to $7.02 million next school year. In 2021-22, the special services budget totaled $3.97 million, in 2022-23, the budget reduced to $3.63 million, but jumped up to $4.72 million in 2023-24, and $6.97 million for 2024-25.
“Over the last four years, out of district placement costs have dramatically increased, in fact increased 139%,” he said. “We’ve had more students enter our rolls. The bigger factor is increased costs that these specialized schools are charging for students as well as the additional services that students need in those schools.”
Paraprofessionals, or aides, have also dramatically increased over that same time frame increasing 801% in cost, Forsthoffer said.
“We do have a few more aides than we had four years ago, but not dramatically,” he said. “It’s been really the cost associated with this specialized service for students with specific disabilities, who need a specialized aide.
“This is an aide with different training, many times with students with behavioral issues. There are fewer of these aides in district, but their costs have increased 228% over the last four years.”
The tentative general fund totals $50.22 million. This includes special revenue at $638,715 and debt service at $2.37 million for a total of $53.3 million.
The district will receive $8.2 million in state aid, a reduction of $7,985 from last year. There will be an increase in tax levy allocations by the 2% cap.
As of Oct. 15, 2024, there are 1,683 students enrolled from Bordentown Township, 387 students from Bordentown City and 73 from Fieldsboro. There are no non-residents enrolled.
The estimated school tax rate for Bordentown Township is $2.08 per $100 of assessed valuation, for Bordentown City, $1.86 per $100 of assessed valuation, and Fieldsboro at $1.72 per $100 of assessed valuation.
The proposed tax levy for 2025-26 is $35,468,098.
The percentage share for Bordentown Township is 78.56%, or $27,866,781, Bordentown City is 18.9%, or $6,703,678, and Fieldsboro at 2.5%, or $897,639.
The budget includes capital improvements for two boilers at Bordentown Regional High School.
The proposed cuts include:
- Two 54 passenger buses
- Reduced summer Curriculum Writing
- Summer Extra Pay
- Bordentown Regional Middle School Sports
- Bordentown Regional Middle School Grade 7 Environmental Education Program
- Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing expenses
- $100,000 across the schools
Reductions in force include:
- Two administrative positions
- Two secretaries
- One Child Study Team
- One Media Center Specialist
- One Desktop Technician (Technology Support)
- Three and a half School Counselors
- 10 Special Education
- Two Preschool Teaching Positions
- 14 Elementary Teaching Positions
- Reduction of BSI (Basic Skills Instruction) services
- 12 Secondary Positions (two are full time to part time)
At one point, the district was considering closing the middle school and have the students in split sessions at the high school. That is off the table.
However, a ONE Bordentown concept is still considered where:
- Peter Muschal would house all Pre-K through 1st grade
- Clara Barton would have grades 2-3
- MacFarland would have grades 4-5
“I know some people are not thrilled about this plan and some are indifferent,” Forsthoffer said. “To be fair, I do not think it’s necessarily a bad idea for Bordentown [however] I also don’t like pushing it on our community.
“Last time I was here, and we had a redistricting I was able to hold town halls, present data to support the move. This helped create an educated community on the matter. By the time the change was made, most people understood the reasoning and accepted the plan for its benefits.
“I just don’t have that luxury at this time,” Forsthoffer continued. “What I can tell you, by moving to the ONE Bordentown concept, we will reduce five teaching positions in special education and one position in regular education next year alone.”
This allows the district to have that money [from those positions] back into budget, he said.
“Also, the principals at the three elementary schools are supportive of ONE Bordentown and feel they can make the schools a positive educational environment.”
School news
In March, the Bordentown Regional School District board of education approved the employment contract for Forsthoffer to serve as interim superintendent from March 6 through June 30, 2026 or until a permanent superintendent assumes his or her duties, at a per-diem rate of $675 per day.
Forsthoffer previously served the district as superintendent from July 2014 until he retired in July 2021, according to his LinkedIn page.
In February, the board had accepted, with best wishes, the resignation due to retirement of Trudy A. Atkins, who came to the district in June 2021.
