District overview
Howell Township Public School District
A large pre-K-8 district funded mostly by local property taxes, with a shrinking student body and a shrinking savings cushion.
Who runs Howell's schools, and where does the money come from?
Howell Township Public Schools teaches children from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade; Howell teenagers go on to the separate Freehold Regional High School District for high school, so this district's budget covers only the younger grades. Nine unpaid board members, elected by Howell voters to staggered three-year terms, set policy, adopt the budget and hire the superintendent, while the day-to-day running of the schools is the superintendent's job. The money is overwhelmingly local: the 2026-27 plan raises $99.4 million from Howell property taxpayers against $23.5 million of state aid, so decisions about spending are mostly decisions about the local tax bill.
Local taxes pay roughly seven of every ten dollars
The 2026-27 plan budgets a $99.4 million local levy and $23.5 million in state aid inside a $144.1 million general-fund operating budget.
The levy is rising faster than costs alone would suggest
The levy goes from $90.2 million actual in 2024-25 to $93.2 million revised in 2025-26 to $99.4 million proposed in 2026-27 - a 6.7% jump in the latest year.
Enrollment is slowly falling
On-roll enrollment was 6,063 in October 2024, 5,934 in October 2025, and is estimated at 5,912 for October 2026, so the budget is spread over about 150 fewer children than two years ago.
Savings are being used to balance the books
Uncommitted general operating fund balance drops from $4.36 million audited at June 2025 to an estimated $2.74 million at June 2027, with $3.5 million of prior-year money budgeted each year.
None of this points to mismanagement. The district's independent auditor issued a clean, unmodified opinion on the 2024-25 statements, found no material weaknesses in financial controls and recorded the district as a low-risk auditee.
Howell's 2026-27 budget and finances
The general-fund total the district filed with the state; later transfers and amendments can change what is actually spent.
Up from $93,186,274 in the revised 2025-26 budget, an increase of about 6.7%.
Down from $23,688,673 actual in 2024-25, which is why the local levy carries more of the increase.
New Jersey's standard comparative measure, up from $21,618 in the revised 2025-26 budget. It is not an audited all-in figure and should only be compared with other New Jersey districts' figures in the same format.
Down from 6,063 in October 2024. Includes 980 full-time special-education students.
Down from $5,673,202 audited at June 2024 - less than half in three years.
Eleven of the twelve board meetings the district scheduled for the period have an official video recording published by the district; the July 22, 2026 meeting has none. No agenda or minutes for any of them is publicly retrievable, because the district publishes those only through BoardDocs.
Major projects
Building work funded from the capital reserve
Funded, underwayHowell is paying the local share of building projects out of its capital reserve, a savings account set aside for construction and major repairs, rather than by borrowing. The 2026-27 plan withdraws $6.95 million for that purpose, after $7.70 million in the revised 2025-26 budget.
- 2025-26 budget summary shows a $7.70 million capital-reserve withdrawal
- 2026-27 budget summary plans a further $6.95 million withdrawal
Funding
Withdrawals from the district capital reserve, with the remainder of project costs carried in the capital projects fund
$6,953,775 planned for 2026-27 and $7,696,575 in the revised 2025-26 budget; the published budget summary does not name the individual buildings or projects.
2026-27 operating plan
Fiscal year underwayThe district is a year into a pattern where the levy rises, state aid does not, enrollment slips and savings are drawn down. The audited 2024-25 report says plainly that because revenue is capped while costs rise, the district must reduce expenses.
- Auditor transmits the 2024-25 financial report with a clean opinion and a warning about capped revenue
- 2026-27 user-friendly budget summary filed with the state
- Next scheduled public board meeting on the published 2026 notice
Funding
Local property-tax levy, New Jersey state aid, a small amount of federal Medicaid reimbursement, and planned use of prior-year fund balance and capital reserve
$144.1 million general-fund operating budget for 2026-27, including $3.5 million of budgeted fund balance.
Recent news
This overview is built from the district's own video showcase of board meeting recordings, its state-filed 2026-27 and 2025-26 user-friendly budget summaries, its audited financial report for the year ended June 30, 2025, its published board policies on electronic devices and technology use, its 2024-25 state anti-bullying grade report, its 2026 board meeting notice and its most recent lead-in-drinking-water assurance letter.
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