Woodbridge school board adopts $409.5M budget with tax hike
The board voted unanimously on Thursday to finalize next year’s spending plan. Here’s what it means for your tax bill and your kids’ schools.
The Woodbridge Township Board of Education voted unanimously on Thursday, May 14, 2026, to adopt the district’s $409.5 million budget for the 2026-2027 school year. The budget includes a $197 annual tax increase for the average homeowner. (Woodbridge Television via YouTube)
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Chris Howell | May 15, 2026
The Woodbridge Township Board of Education officially adopted its 2026-2027 budget Thursday night. The vote was quick and unanimous, with no discussion by the board.
The bottom line for homeowners: school taxes will go up $197 a year. That works out to about $16 a month, based on the average home’s tax value in Woodbridge.
The total budget is $409.5 million. About $213 million of that comes from local property taxes. The state picks up most of the remaining $130.9 million this year, up $7.4 million from last year.
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The highest cost increases hitting the district are mostly things it can’t control. The company the district uses to clean its schools is charging nearly 19% more. Security costs are up nearly 17%, partly because the district added overnight guards at the high schools. The cost of sending students with special needs to outside programs has jumped nearly 14%. Health insurance for staff is up more than 8%, and utilities are up 10%. Teacher pay, set through a union contract, rose 3.38%.
The board also wrapped up contract negotiations with district administrators on Thursday. Board member Stephan Lally, who led the talks, called it a good outcome. “Fair deal for the administrators, a fair deal for the taxpayer, and it’s good for our school district,” he said.
In a separate vote, the board cleared a state performance requirement that had been hanging over the district. State officials had flagged Woodbridge for not meeting a benchmark in the quality of its instruction and programs and required the district to develop an improvement plan. Thursday’s vote confirmed the district has now met the standard in all five categories the state tracks.
The board also approved buying 85 student Chromebooks for $75,392 and took a first step toward streaming school sports events live online.
School meal prices will go up 15 cents next year across the board. Elementary lunch will cost $3.80, middle school lunch $4.40, and high school lunch $4.65.
One resident used the public comment period to push back on the budget. Paul Lund of Hopelawn asked whether the number of administrators has grown faster than the number of teachers and students over the past decade. Vice President Jonathan Triebwasser, who ran the meeting, said the district has the same number of administrators as it had 10 years ago.
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.