The proposed 2026–2027 tentative Montgomery school budget presented on March 24th reflects an increase of $5.9 million (5.0%) in total appropriations compared to previous year. Residents are already paying among the highest property taxes in Somerset County and are concerned about another increase this year.

We, the undersigned parents, residents, and taxpayers of Montgomery Township, respectfully request that the Montgomery Township Board of Education undertake a targeted review of cost-containment opportunities as part of the 2026–2027 budget process. 

Identify and evaluate areas of cost containment that would allow the Montgomery Township School District to reduce the school portion of the property tax levy, rather than increasing property taxes for the 2026–2027 budget year.

Two simple actions that make a real difference:

1️⃣ Sign this petition 
2️⃣ Show up on April 28th, 6:30 PM at Orchard Hill Elementary School Cafeteria At 244 Orchard Road, Skillman NJ

Numbers matter — both signatures and faces in the room send a clear message to the board. Please sign, share, and come out if you can.

We are proposing the following cost containment areas.

Executive Summary: 

The analysis in Section A identifies four areas where Montgomery Township School District spending exceeds comparable benchmarks. Together, they represent between $14.65 million and $16.6 million in potential annual savings available for evaluation and action by the Board of Education.

• Non-teaching staffing — $10.74 million Reducing "other support services" and instructional aide positions to peer-district ratios (approximately 158 excess FTE at current levels vs. West Windsor-Plainsboro benchmarks). Salary and benefits combined.
• Special education optimization — $2.0 million Net savings after returning approximately 30 out-of-district placements to in-district programs, eliminating ~$3.2M in tuition and transportation while absorbing ~$1.5M in new in-district staffing costs.
• Facilities, maintenance, and energy — $1.18 million Energy performance contracts ($250–500K), solar PPAs ($100–200K), joint custodial/HVAC/waste purchasing with the township ($80–150K), and shared grounds and fleet management ($80–175K).
• Regular instruction staffing — $729K – $1.16 million Modest teaching staff adjustments where MTSD ratios exceed peer benchmarks. Classroom teacher-to-student ratios are already largely in line.

A). Detail Cost-Containment Areas for Review

1. Staffing Review for Non-Teaching Overhead Reduction

With Montgomery Township School District student enrollment trending downward, and with a school configuration that includes two elementary schools and two middle schools, it is appropriate for the district to reassess whether non‑teaching staffing levels and structures remain aligned with current operational needs. 

A comparison of Montgomery Township School District (MTSD) and the West Windsor–Plainsboro Regional School District (WW-P) staffing ratios suggests potential opportunities to review non-teaching positions. Based on WW-P’s non-teaching staff per 1,000 students, MTSD’s current staffing reflects approximately 158 additional non-teaching positions. If MTSD were to move toward the WW-P ratio over time, the illustrative annual savings could be approximately $12.3 million (salary and benefits), or about 10% of MTSD’s $123.6 million budget.

“Other support services” represents the largest area of the estimated opportunity. At approximately $8.6 million, it accounts for roughly 70% of the illustrative savings estimate. This category reflects approximately 154 FTE in MTSD, compared with an estimated 45 FTE under WW-P’s staffing ratio.

                                                         Table 1: Comparing MTSD with West Windsor Plainsboro school.

At WWP Ratio: Montgomery equivalent of non-teaching staff required using WWP staff per 1K student ratio.

Request: As part of the 2026-2027 budget process, we respectfully request that the district conduct a position-by-position review of staffing and assignments within Other Support Services and Instructional Aides. Given the combined potential savings of approximately $10.74 million, this review should evaluate whether each position remains necessary as currently structured, and identify opportunities to achieve savings through attrition, vacancy management, reassignment, or restructuring, while maintaining educational quality, student safety, and full legal and contractual compliance.

2. Staffing Alignment Through Attrition

Related Budget Category: "Regular Programs – Instruction".  Proposed Appropriation: $30,208,220 (24.44%)

Vacancy review enables districts to assess whether positions remain necessary as structured in light of declining enrollment, while maintaining educational quality, student safety, and full legal and contractual compliance. 

Request: In response to declining student enrollment, the Board of Education shall adopt a temporary enhanced vacancy review policy. Under this policy, vacancies created by retirements, resignations, or other departures shall not be automatically refilled. Instead, each open position must be individually reviewed and approved by Board of Education. 

With 10-16 current open positions we have listed, district could save approximately about $729,000 – $1,160,000. 

Link to open positions: https://www.applitrack.com/mtsdk12/onlineapp/default.aspx

3. Employee Benefits 

Proposed Appropriation: $29,442,951 (23.82%)

New Jersey school districts periodically evaluate whether certain regular program instructional roles require full‑time staffing or whether operational needs can be met through part‑time positions of approximately 20 hours per week,

Request: District evaluates whether certain positions within Regular Programs (Instruction) may be structured as part‑time roles (approximately 20 hours per week) to reduce employee benefit costs.

4. Special Education Cost Optimization

Related Budget Category: Special Services (Special Education)
 Proposed Appropriation: $18,455,624 (14.93%)

In New Jersey, annual Out Of District placement costs frequently range from $75,000 to over $120,000 per student, and can be higher for highly specialized programs or placements requiring extended transportation. These costs typically exceed the per‑student cost of providing comparable services in‑district once appropriate programs and staffing are established.

Request: Evaluate opportunities to reduce reliance on high‑cost out‑of‑district special‑education placements—often costing $75,000–$120,000+ per student annually, by expanding or sharing appropriate in‑district special‑education programs.

The district places 35 students out-of-district at an estimated cost of $3.2M-4.2M. Developing in-district programs to reduce OOD placements could yield net annual savings of approximately $2 million after accounting for the in-district staffing costs and transportation needed to serve those students.

5. Transportation Efficiency and Shared Services

Proposed Appropriation: $7,619,040 (6.16%)

Transportation represents a meaningful component of district operating costs and is among the most frequently reviewed service areas in New Jersey school districts.

Request: Conduct and publicly report a transportation efficiency review with a primary focus on the feasibility of shared‑service transportation arrangements and shared bidding with neighboring districts. Explore SREP (School Regionalization Efficiency Program) which will cover 100% of feasibility study. 

6. Facilities, Maintenance, and Energy Management

Proposed Appropriation: $10,957,216 (8.86%)

The Montgomery Township School District and Montgomery Township government serve the same residents, operate within the same tax base, and maintain overlapping infrastructure and services. Closer coordination between the Board of Education and the Township presents opportunities to improve efficiency, reduce duplicative costs, and better leverage public resources without compromising educational quality.

Request: Evaluate opportunities for joint purchasing or cooperative contracting with Montgomery Township, where permissible, to increase scale and reduce unit costs for shared goods and services. With a potential savings around $1.18 million.

B). Our Request

The petition requests that the Montgomery Township Board of Education formally evaluate and publicly report cost‑containment opportunities outlined in section A above as part of the 2026–2027 budget process.

 C). Certification

By signing, I affirm that I am a parent, resident, and/or taxpayer of Montgomery Township, New Jersey, and support this request for prudent, fiscal review in support of the district’s long-term educational and financial sustainability.