District overview
Piscataway Township School District
How Piscataway's schools are paid for, who decides, and what is changing
Who pays for Piscataway's schools, and why the bill jumped this year
Three quarters of Piscataway's budget comes from the local property tax levy, and the levy can normally only rise 2 percent a year. State aid makes up most of the rest, and it has fallen three years running - from $26,654,634 in 2024-2025 to $25,854,995 and then $25,079,345 for 2026-2027. What broke the pattern this year was health insurance: the state health benefits plan raised its rates 31.9 percent from January 1, 2026, and state law lets a district exceed the 2 percent cap when that happens. Piscataway used that exception for $6,266,371, taking the total levy increase to 7.71 percent - against a 10-year average of 2.5 percent. Almost none of that money buys anything new; it keeps the same staff insured. The district closed the rest of the gap by cutting a net 23 positions and about $1 million of programmes and transport.
The levy is 75% of the budget, and capped at 2%
For 2026-2027 the levy is $118,276,096 out of a $173,458,926 total budget. The 2 percent cap is why a 30 percent rise in one cost category forces cuts elsewhere rather than simply a bigger bill.
State aid has fallen three years in a row
Down $799,639 for 2025-2026 and a further $775,650 for 2026-2027. The district also notes that the state's own uncapped formula would have paid it $23,538,416 for 2026-2027, less than it actually received, so the cushion is a capped decrease rather than a surplus.
Piscataway taxes itself $28 million below what the state says it should
The state's local fair share calculation for 2026-2027 is $146,404,571 against an actual levy of $118,276,096. Piscataway has the third-largest population in Middlesex County but ranks 19th of 25 municipalities on per-capita income.
Spending per pupil is near the bottom of the county
$16,424 in 2023-2024, ranked 20th of 23 Middlesex County districts against a county average of $18,298. The district calculates it would need $13,758,908 more to reach that average.
None of this means the district is badly run. Its 2024-2025 audit came back with no findings, it carries no bonded debt at all, it has completed about $33 million of capital work over ten years plus a $15 million energy programme at no cost to taxpayers, and it held its levy increase to a 2.5 percent average over a decade while absorbing large new costs. The 2026-2027 rise is driven by a state insurance rate it does not control.
Where the district stands
A $157,262,634 general fund plus $16,196,292 of special revenue. Up from a $109,813,456 levy year.
Up 7.71 percent from $109,813,456. Of that, 2 percent is the ordinary cap and 5.71 percent is the health-care cost exception.
Allowed because the state health benefits plan raised its rates 31.9 percent from January 1, 2026. The district projects its own health costs up about 30 percent.
Down $775,650, the third consecutive annual fall, after $26,654,634 in 2024-2025 and $25,854,995 in 2025-2026.
Local fair share for 2026-2027 is calculated at $146,404,571 against an actual levy of $118,276,096.
Up $453.43 from $4,918.46. The average assessed home rose from $520,317 to $567,318.
Ranked 20th of 23 Middlesex County districts against a county average of $18,298. The district calculates it would need $13,758,908 more to reach the average.
44.5 cut against 21.5 added, a net 38.5 full-time equivalents. The district states class sizes and course offerings will be affected.
Up from 67 in 2018-2019, funded by $11,881,842 of state Preschool Education Aid, with capacity being built toward 800.
The district funds capital work from reserves instead: about $33 million of projects over ten years, plus a $15 million energy programme at no cost to taxpayers.
Only the September 10, 2026 meeting has an agenda without minutes, because they have not yet been published.
Major projects
Preschool expansion and a new preschool location
Funded and openingPiscataway's free preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds has grown from 67 children in 2018-2019 to 707 placed for 2026-2027, with capacity being built toward 800 including special education. A new location opens in September 2026, created by remodelling Fellowship Farms; the district projects it will have the 18th largest preschool enrolment in New Jersey and the 4th largest among non-Abbott districts. Transport for it is paid from the operating budget, not the aid, and special education preschool costs have risen from $925,000 to $2,275,000 in five years.
- Design development meeting for the Fellowship Farms preschool alterations
- Courtesy review at the township planning board
- Construction contract awarded
- Construction completed
- New preschool location opens
Funding
State Preschool Education Aid of $11,881,842 for 2026-2027, plus operating budget for transport
Piscataway High School renovation and the Anthony Gym repair
Substantially completeA run of interior work at the high school - a new media centre and e-sports room, a rebuilt cafeteria section, a computer science classroom, an engineering classroom, a nurse's suite and offices in the principal's suite - alongside an emergency repair of the Anthony Gym floor after water damage, and a replacement public address, intercom, telephone and clock system. The district funds capital work from reserves rather than borrowing: it carries no bonded debt, has completed about $33 million of projects over ten years, and delivered $12.3 million of work once earmarked for a referendum for $9.2 million.
- Subfloor work begins on the water-damaged Anthony Gym floor
- Gym floor available for the first basketball games
- New computer classroom opens
- Media centre grand opening; in use for AP testing and at lunchtimes
Funding
Capital reserve; no bonded debt
Solar panel replacement and the Quibbletown roof
Contracts awarded, work underwayThe district removed the old solar array at Piscataway High School, had the roof inspected to keep its warranty valid, and is installing new panels at the high school and at Quibbletown Middle School. Because the high school decommissioning went well, the Quibbletown roof replacement was bid separately from the panel installation. A $15 million Energy Savings Improvement Programme covering lighting, HVAC, solar and transformer upgrades has already been completed, paid for out of the savings it generates rather than by taxpayers.
- Quibbletown roof bid period opens
- Quibbletown roof bids opened; low bid below budget
- Solar installation bids opened
- Board awards both the roof and the solar contracts
Funding
Capital reserve, following a $15 million Energy Savings Improvement Programme completed at no cost to taxpayers
Promethean interactive boards in the remaining K-8 schools
Quotes approved, some capital work on holdInteractive boards are being installed in the three K-8 buildings that do not yet have them - Conackamack Middle School, Knollwood Elementary School and Randolphville Elementary School - completing a programme begun in summer 2024. Final quotes went to the board in May 2026. Other capital work has been put on hold because of budget constraints.
- Committee confirms the plan for the three remaining buildings
- Final installation quotes on the board agenda
Funding
Capital reserve
Recent news
Built from the district's own board pages, which answer ordinary requests: the board agenda archive, the board minutes archive, the monthly board committee reports, and the business office budget page. Every document is a PDF on the district's file host and is fetched directly. The district's policy manual supplies the current device and artificial-intelligence policies. All of these pages are re-read each week, so newly posted agendas and later minutes are picked up automatically.
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