Pinelands Regional School District budget 2026-27

Pinelands Regional School District

Ocean 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: $37.7M → 2026-27: $39.6M (+4.9%)The general fund's current expense: salaries, benefits, supplies and services. Not building projects or debt.
Employee benefits2025-26: $8.5M → 2026-27: $10.3M (+21.5%)26.1% of day-to-day spending.Ocean County median +20.8% · New Jersey median +18.2%
Everything else2025-26: $29.2M → 2026-27: $29.3M (+0.1%)Ocean County median +1.2% · New Jersey median +0.5%

Where the money comes from

Local school tax levy2025-26: $24M → 2026-27: $25.9M (+7.8%)Ocean County median +5.4% · New Jersey median +5%
State school aid, K–122025-26: $10.6M → 2026-27: $11.2M (+6%)Ocean County median +6% · New Jersey median +4.9%
- Equalization aid$6.7M → $7.1M
- Special education aid$2.4M → $2.7M
- Transportation aid$888,258 → $967,866
- Security aid$472,480 → $503,932
- School choice aid$17,354 → $18,321
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: $477,756 → 2026-27: $479,762 (+0.4%)Ocean County median +1.6% · 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: $1.3M → 2026-27: $1.2MPlanned amount, not what is left in reserve. Does not include capital or maintenance reserve withdrawals.

Health insurance costs

Health benefits, audited2022-23: $5.1M → 2024-25: $5.9M (+16.5%)Ocean County median +20.2% · 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: 10.8 → 2024-25: 11.2Ocean County median 11.2 · New Jersey median 10.7
Median teacher salary2024-25: $78,500Ocean County median $75,096 · 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.