Local school taxes up 6% as state aid edges down

What happened

Belleville's 2026-27 budget raises the local tax levy to $52,630,900 from $49,657,745, an increase of about 6%, while state aid falls slightly to $68,098,422 from $69,153,615. Unlike most New Jersey districts, Belleville depends mainly on the state: in 2024-25 state sources supplied 64% of general-fund revenue against 36% from local sources. The budget also takes $1,000,000 out of the capital reserve, which is set to fall from $4.5 million to about $3.21 million over two years, and spending per pupil rises to a planned $23,313 while enrolment drops to an estimated 4,847.

Why it matters to families

When most of a district's money comes from Trenton, a small cut in state aid has to be made up locally or absorbed by cutting something, and here it is being made up by a 6% rise in the local levy plus a draw on the building-repair savings account. That combination is what parents see later as bigger classes or deferred repairs.

The evidence

The 2026-27 user-friendly budget filing generated July 14, 2026 lists a local tax levy of $52,630,900 against $49,657,745 revised for 2025-26 and $48,242,133 actual for 2024-25, state aid of $68,098,422 against $69,153,615, a $1,000,000 withdrawal from the capital reserve, a capital reserve balance falling from $4,500,000 at June 2025 to $3,210,000 projected at June 2027, a comparative cost of $23,313 per pupil, and on-roll enrolment of 4,960, 4,945 and 4,847 estimated. The audited 2024-25 report gives the revenue split as local $49,224,565 (35.70%), state $88,553,849 (64.23%) and federal $92,964 (0.07%).

The source