District hires lawyers to fight its state aid figure

What happened

On June 25, 2026 the board appointed outside counsel specifically for state aid litigation services, at $435 an hour capped at 91.5 hours and $39,802, for the year from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, and put a revised version of the same resolution on its August 25, 2026 agenda. State aid litigation has appeared in the finance committee's report at meeting after meeting since October 2025, alongside the 2026-2027 budget.

Why it matters to families

Brick gets only a small share of its money from Trenton and raises the rest locally, so the state aid figure the district is given decides how much has to come from Brick taxpayers. Paying a law firm to contest it is a sign the district believes the number is wrong by enough to be worth litigating, and the outcome would change the budget for every school.

The evidence

The June 25, 2026 approved minutes and agenda carry a fair-and-open resolution appointing a provider of state aid litigation services at $435 per hour, not to exceed 91.5 hours and $39,802, for July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. The August 25, 2026 agenda carries a revised version of the same resolution. Finance committee reports in the October 2025, November 2025, January 2026, March 2026, June 2026 and July 2026 minutes each list state aid litigation among the items discussed.

The source