Lenape Valley Regional High School District budget 2026-27

Lenape Valley Regional High School District

Sussex 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: $19.9M → 2026-27: $20.2M (+1.5%)The general fund's current expense: salaries, benefits, supplies and services. Not building projects or debt.
Employee benefits2025-26: $3.6M → 2026-27: $4.1M (+13.5%)20.4% of day-to-day spending.Sussex County median +15.6% · New Jersey median +18.2%
Everything else2025-26: $16.3M → 2026-27: $16.1M (-1.2%)Sussex County median -0.5% · New Jersey median +0.5%

Where the money comes from

Local school tax levy2025-26: $12.5M → 2026-27: $13M (+4%)Sussex County median +4% · New Jersey median +5%
State school aid, K–122025-26: $6.6M → 2026-27: $6.9M (+4.9%)Sussex County median +4.9% · New Jersey median +4.9%
- Equalization aid$4.1M → $4.5M
- Special education aid$1.1M → $997,359
- Transportation aid$383,985 → $384,546
- Security aid$117,943 → $129,176
- School choice aid$984,078 → $969,885
Equalization, special education, transportation and security aid together can rise by no more than 6% a year, and this district is at that limit: the formula alone would have given more. 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
Federal special education grant (IDEA)2025-26: $160,236 → 2026-27: $165,268 (+3.1%)Sussex County median +3.1% · 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. From the state's IDEA award files: 2025-26, 2026-27
Surplus budgeted to balance the budget2025-26: $139,342 → 2026-27: $100,000Planned amount, not what is left in reserve. Does not include capital or maintenance reserve withdrawals.

Health insurance costs

Health benefits, audited2022-23: $2.2M → 2024-25: $2.4M (+12.1%)Sussex County median +7.8% · New Jersey median +18.1%What the district actually spent, from its audited annual financial reports: 2022-23, 2024-25

Teachers

Students per teacher2021-22: 11.9 → 2024-25: 11.3Sussex County median 10.3 · New Jersey median 10.7
Median teacher salary2024-25: $86,190Sussex County median $74,947 · 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.