Woodbridge school district proposes $197 tax increase as costs climb
The 2026-2027 budget totals $375.8 million, a 4.78% increase driven by rising benefits, tuition, custodial, and security costs
Woodbridge Township School District Superintendent Dr. Joseph Massimino presents the proposed 2026-2027 budget to the Board of Education on Thursday, May 7, 2026, at Ross Street School No. 11. The plan calls for a $197 annual tax increase for the average homeowner.
Chris Howell | May 8, 2026
The Woodbridge Township Board of Education got its first look at next year’s proposed school budget Thursday night. The plan would raise the average homeowner’s tax bill by $197 annually, based on a home assessed at $75,000 for tax purposes.
The total proposed budget is $375.8 million, an increase of about $17.1 million, or 4.78%, over the current year.
Superintendent Dr. Joseph Massimino presented the budget at Ross Street School No. 11. No members of the public commented.
The district’s tax levy, which is the portion of the budget paid directly by local property owners, would rise by $6.6 million to $213.3 million. State aid would increase by $7.4 million to $130.9 million, helping offset some of the local burden.
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Massimino called the breakdown of expenses the most important part of the presentation. The biggest cost drivers are largely outside the district’s control. The custodial contract is handled through a shared services agreement with the township and is up nearly 19%. Security costs are up nearly 17%, tied to the addition of overnight shifts at the high schools. Out-of-district tuition payments to place students with specialized needs in outside programs have risen nearly 14%. Employee benefits are up more than 8%, and utilities are up 10%.
Teacher salaries, set through collective bargaining, rose 3.38%, the most modest increase in the budget.
State funding adds another layer of uncertainty, Massimino said, noting that how much the state sends to Woodbridge each year weighs heavily on how much the district has to ask local taxpayers to contribute. He pointed to the district’s 10-year tax history as evidence of fiscal restraint before this year’s larger jump, including a rare $13.20 decrease in 2024-2025.
“When you see where the taxes have gone over 10 years, I think it is very fair in regards to if you look around some other school districts and townships,” the superintendent said.
In neighboring Edison, taxpayers were staring down the barrel of a 12% tax increase before public outcry cajoled the school board down to a 6% hike.
On the program side, the budget funds several new initiatives. The district is implementing a new cursive writing curriculum required under state law. The K-12 science curriculum is being updated to align with the revised New Jersey Student Learning Standards, which will take effect in September.
Three new courses are being introduced: AP Business, AP Cybersecurity, and a Geography elective for grades 6 through 8. The district is also opening a transitional kindergarten class, adding two new autism programs, and expanding its elementary math intervention program.
Capital projects include renovation of the traffic circle and parking area at Woodbridge High School, replacement of bleachers and the press box at Colonia High School, a driveway reconfiguration at Lafayette Estates School No. 25, and paving behind Woodbridge Middle School.
The Avenel Street School No. 4 and 5 renovation and the construction of a new school in Hopelawn are both funded through PILOT agreements and do not draw from the operating budget.
Technology upgrades include cybersecurity enhancements, student Chromebook replacements, and network switch upgrades reimbursed through the federal e-rate program.
“These are items that we have to make sure we keep up with so that our students have access to that technology that comes with teaching in the 21st Century,” Dr. Massimino said.
The board will vote on final budget adoption at its next full meeting, scheduled for Thursday, May 14, at Ross Street School No. 11 at 6 p.m.
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