Montague Township School District budget 2026-27

Montague Township 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: $11.1M → 2026-27: $11.5M (+3.5%)The general fund's current expense: salaries, benefits, supplies and services. Not building projects or debt.
Employee benefits2025-26: $2.1M → 2026-27: $2.6M (+23.3%)22.3% of day-to-day spending.Sussex County median +15.6% · New Jersey median +18.2%
Everything else2025-26: $9,046,956 → 2026-27: $8,953,878 (-1%)Sussex County median -0.5% · New Jersey median +0.5%

Where the money comes from

Local school tax levy2025-26: $7.8M → 2026-27: $8.7M (+11.5%)Sussex County median +4% · New Jersey median +5%
State school aid, K–122025-26: $2.3M → 2026-27: $2.5M (+6%)Sussex County median +4.9% · New Jersey median +4.9%
- Equalization aid$1.6M → $1.8M
- Special education aid$480,136 → $414,555
- Transportation aid$208,824 → $159,236
- Security aid$79,001 → $68,314
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
State preschool aid2025-26: $701,624 → 2026-27: $875,401 (+24.8%)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: $122,663 → 2026-27: $129,469 (+5.5%)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: $457,005 → 2026-27: $0Planned amount, not what is left in reserve. Does not include capital or maintenance reserve withdrawals.

Health insurance costs

Health benefits, audited2022-23: $919,533 → 2024-25: $1.3M (+36%)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: 8.6 → 2024-25: 9.6Sussex County median 10.3 · New Jersey median 10.7
Median teacher salary2024-25: $68,000Sussex 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.