Freehold Borough School District budget 2026-27

Freehold Borough School District

Monmouth County · 2026-27 budget, from New Jersey Department of Education files. Budgets are set for a whole district, so every school in it shares these figures.

Spending

Day-to-day spending2025-26: $41M → 2026-27: $40.3M (-1.7%)The general fund's current expense: salaries, benefits, supplies and services. Not building projects or debt.
Employee benefits2025-26: $8.9M → 2026-27: $10M (+13%)24.9% of day-to-day spending.Monmouth County median +19.9% · New Jersey median +18.2%
Everything else2025-26: $32.2M → 2026-27: $30.3M (-5.8%)Monmouth County median -0.5% · New Jersey median +0.5%

Where the money comes from

Local school tax levy2025-26: $11.9M → 2026-27: $13M (+9.8%)Monmouth County median +5% · New Jersey median +5%
State school aid, K–122025-26: $26.5M → 2026-27: $25.7M (-3%)Monmouth County median +3.8% · New Jersey median +4.9%
- Equalization aid$23.6M → $22.7M
- Special education aid$2,114,117 → $2,054,482
- Transportation aid$70,398 → $296,097
- Security aid$688,464 → $666,824
Equalization, special education, transportation and security aid together can fall by no more than 3% a year, and this district is at that limit: the formula alone would have cut them further. Equalization aid is based on the gap between what the state's formula says a district needs and the share it expects local taxes to raise. From the state's aid files: 2025-26, 2026-27
State preschool aid2025-26: $1.6M → 2026-27: $1.8M (+14.7%)Paid into a separate fund that can only be spent on preschool. From the state's preschool aid files: 2025-26, 2026-27
Federal special education grant (IDEA)2025-26: $503,392 → 2026-27: $983,818 (+95.4%)Monmouth County median +1.4% · New Jersey median +1.7%Federal money for students with disabilities, ages 3 to 21. The 2026-27 award is the state's preliminary figure. $81,732 of it is set aside for students with disabilities whose parents placed them in private schools. From the state's IDEA award files: 2025-26, 2026-27
Surplus budgeted to balance the budget2025-26: $1.8M → 2026-27: $1.4MPlanned amount, not what is left in reserve. Does not include capital or maintenance reserve withdrawals.

Teachers

Students per teacher2021-22: 10.3 → 2024-25: 9.3Monmouth County median 9.4 · New Jersey median 10.7
Median teacher salary2024-25: $76,804Monmouth County median $78,294 · New Jersey median $78,587

New Jersey School Performance Reports

Medians are across districts whose budgets are comparable; services commissions and districts outside the state aid formula are left out.