Wildwood Crest Borough School District budget 2026-27

Wildwood Crest Borough School District

Cape May 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: $10.7M → 2026-27: $10.9M (+1.7%)The general fund's current expense: salaries, benefits, supplies and services. Not building projects or debt.
Employee benefits2025-26: $2.2M → 2026-27: $2.4M (+9.2%)22.3% of day-to-day spending.Cape May County median +14.5% · New Jersey median +18.2%
Everything else2025-26: $8,515,946 → 2026-27: $8,493,947 (-0.3%)Cape May County median +0.1% · New Jersey median +0.5%

Where the money comes from

Local school tax levy2025-26: $9.1M → 2026-27: $9.2M (+2%)Cape May County median +4% · New Jersey median +5%
State school aid, K–122025-26: $661,400 → 2026-27: $712,043 (+7.7%)Cape May County median +5.4% · New Jersey median +4.9%
- Special education aid$267,609 → $289,336
- Transportation aid$44,847 → $47,148
- Security aid$51,328 → $49,127
- School choice aid$297,616 → $326,432
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. From the state's aid files: 2025-26, 2026-27
State preschool aid2025-26: $426,412 → 2026-27: $441,672 (+3.6%)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: $80,325 → 2026-27: $80,339 (0%)Cape May County median +0.1% · 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: $962,225 → 2026-27: $952,683Planned amount, not what is left in reserve. Does not include capital or maintenance reserve withdrawals.

Health insurance costs

Health benefits, audited2022-23: $1.1M → 2024-25: $1.3M (+8.9%)Cape May County median +17.2% · 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: 6.9 → 2024-25: 5.7Cape May County median 9.4 · New Jersey median 10.7
Median teacher salary2024-25: $83,938Cape May County median $71,600 · 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.