Woodbridge School Board Approves $19.5 Million in Outside Placements
A relatively quiet meeting carried the year's largest dollar figures. The board approved outside placements for over 200 students with disabilities, a $737,000 security upgrade for every school in the district, and a wave of new phonics-based reading materials weeks after rejecting a literacy coaching contract.
A school bus travels a route in Mercer County, New Jersey. Woodbridge students with special transportation needs are served in part through the Mercer County Special Services School District’s coordinated busing system. (Source)
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Chris Howell | July 17, 2026
The Woodbridge Township Board of Education met on Thursday for its July meeting, moving through a lengthy finance agenda with no discussion and no opposition to the night’s votes. Below are the five most expensive items the board approved, ranked by cost, followed by smaller but notable actions and items to watch heading into the fall.
1. $19.5 million — Out-of-district placements for students with disabilities
The board approved out-of-district placements for roughly 205 students with disabilities for the 2026-2027 school year, at a combined cost of about $19.5 million. The placements cover students whose needs cannot be met within Woodbridge’s own schools and are sent instead to specialized programs across New Jersey. State law requires these placements and partially reimburses districts through state aid. The board approved the block as a single agenda item ahead of the new school year.
2. $1,943,609 — Correction to charter school tuition payments
The board approved an amendment correcting the actual tuition costs owed to Middlesex County STEM Charter School for 95 Woodbridge students during the 2025-2026 school year, adjusting an earlier estimate from January to reflect the final total.
3. $737,000 — Security upgrade across every school building
The board approved a districtwide security overhaul covering all Woodbridge schools and the administration building. The purchase includes 75 door access controllers, 26 intercoms at building entrances, 25 visitor check-in stations, encrypted key fobs, and tablets made by Verkada, along with installation and ten years of software licensing. The project is being paid for through the township’s PILOT program, meaning it will not add to the tax levy.
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4. $220,000 — New phonics-based reading materials
The board approved payment to Benchmark Education Company for DynaMax Decodable Readers, a set of phonics-based books used to teach early reading. The purchase comes about a month after the board rejected all bids for an outside literacy coaching contract, and as state data shows Woodbridge students reading below the statewide average.
5. $116,000 — Engineering oversight for the new Hopelawn school
The board awarded a contract to M&E Engineers to oversee construction quality on the new Hopelawn elementary school, formally known as School No. 10. The contract covers inspection and testing of building systems as construction moves forward. The board voted last month to submit construction plans for the school to the state for review.
Honorable Mentions
Two more purchases tied to reading instruction. The board approved an additional $55,000 for Express Readers and $35,000 for handwriting workbooks, both from Benchmark Education Company, continuing the district’s shift toward phonics-based reading materials.
A charter school correction, on a smaller scale. The board approved a similar tuition correction for six students at Cresthaven Academy Charter School, adjusting the final cost for the 2025-2026 school year to $78,998.
Digital safety education for two grade levels. The board approved $20,782 for assemblies on responsible phone and internet use for all fourth graders and seventh graders in the district, led by an outside group called IROC2.
A routine software renewal for high schoolers. The board renewed its $17,414 contract with Powerschool for Naviance, a college and career planning platform used by the district’s three high schools.
Also Approved
The board approved $14,250 for basketball-themed assemblies for second and third graders, two new assistant coaching hires at Colonia High School, and a $150-per-student agreement letting eligible students earn college credit through Middlesex County College. The board also recognized Lead School Nurse Lori Mido, who was named the state’s 2026 School Nurse Administrator of the Year.
Coming Up
The board’s next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, August 13.
Editor’s note: The Central Jerseyan is free to read and supported by advertising. If you value this kind of local reporting and want to help sustain it, you can become a citizen supporter on Patreon. Your contribution helps fund continued coverage of local government, schools, and community issues.