Ridgefield Park Public School District budget 2026-27

Ridgefield Park Public School District

Bergen 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: $57.8M → 2026-27: $60M (+3.9%)The general fund's current expense: salaries, benefits, supplies and services. Not building projects or debt.
Employee benefits2025-26: $8.7M → 2026-27: $11M (+26.1%)18.4% of day-to-day spending.Bergen County median +23.5% · New Jersey median +18.2%
Everything else2025-26: $49,040,689 → 2026-27: $49,000,669 (-0.1%)Bergen County median +0.5% · New Jersey median +0.5%

Where the money comes from

Local school tax levy2025-26: $30.3M → 2026-27: $32.4M (+6.7%)Bergen County median +6% · New Jersey median +5%
State school aid, K–122025-26: $17.7M → 2026-27: $17.1M (-3%)Bergen County median +4.3% · New Jersey median +4.9%
- Equalization aid$13.9M → $13.3M
- Special education aid$2.8M → $2.9M
- Transportation aid$385,091 → $418,651
- Security aid$601,844 → $564,482
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: $2.6M → 2026-27: $2.9M (+14.4%)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: $654,519 → 2026-27: $660,063 (+0.8%)Bergen County median +2% · 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. $2,167 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: $1,950 → 2026-27: $1.4MPlanned amount, not what is left in reserve. Does not include capital or maintenance reserve withdrawals.

Teachers

Students per teacher2021-22: 11.3 → 2024-25: 10.3Bergen County median 11.2 · New Jersey median 10.7
Median teacher salary2024-25: $88,321Bergen County median $83,387 · 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.