Robbinsville school officials have announced a series of in-person community information sessions throughout January and February ahead of a proposed $5.03 million school tax increase that will go before voters in a March 10 special referendum.
According to the district, the sessions are intended to provide residents with clear information about the public question and offer opportunities for open discussion with administrators.
The referendum that, if approved by voters, would allow the district to prevent class size increases by maintaining teaching and staff positions, preserve academic programs, electives, athletics and student clubs, and secure funding stability for the next two school years.
For more information, see robbinsvillek12.gov.
District officials have noted that an additional funding shortfall is anticipated when capital debt expires in 2028.
District administrators will present financial context behind the referendum and answer questions during each session, all of which will be held in person to encourage meaningful dialogue.
“Our number one priority in the lead up to this vote is transparent, clear communication,” Superintendent Patrick Pizzo said. “We are here to answer any questions to ensure all Robbinsville residents are fully informed for the March 10 vote.”
Evening sessions will be held on Tuesdays, excluding regularly scheduled Board of Education meetings, and will include a brief presentation followed by community discussion. Meetings are as follows:
• Jan. 20, 6:30–7:30 p.m. — Pond Road Middle School cafetorium, 150 Pond Rd.;
• Feb. 3, 6:30–7:30 p.m. — Sharon Elementary School cafeteria, 234 Sharon Rd.;
• Feb. 10, 6:30–7:30 p.m. — Pond Road Middle School cafetorium, 150 Pond Rd.; and
• Feb. 19 (Thursday), 6:30–7:30 p.m. — Robbinsville High School, Room M105, 155 Robbinsville-Edinburg Rd.
In addition to the evening sessions, the district will host informal daytime collaborative discussions designed to give parents and community members an opportunity to speak directly with school administrators about potential impacts at individual schools.
Residents are asked to complete an RSVP form in advance to assist with visitor management. Daytime meetings are scheduled as follows:
• Jan. 22, 9–10 a.m. — Pond Road Middle School staff lounge, 150 Pond Rd.;
• Feb. 5, 2–3 p.m. — Sharon Elementary School cafeteria, 234 Sharon Rd.;
• Feb. 12, 11 a.m.–noon — Pond Road Middle School/Pre-K media center, 150 Pond Rd.; and
• Feb. 19, 9–10 a.m. — Robbinsville High School, Room M105, 155 Robbinsville-Edinburg Rd.
The announcement builds on earlier outreach efforts as Robbinsville school officials continue meeting with residents to explain the district’s financial challenges and the reasoning behind the referendum approved by the Board of Education on Jan. 5.
Superintendent Patrick Pizzo has said the district is facing a critical funding crossroads.
“Our challenge before us is clear: without improvement in our revenue budget, our schools will experience significant student-facing reductions in staff, programs, and learning opportunities in the 2026–27 school year,” Pizzo wrote in his January column in the Robbinsville Advance. “These challenges are real and daunting.”
District officials say the referendum is needed to address a long-standing structural deficit in which expenses have increased faster than revenues.
Board members have cited limits on state aid — projected to decline by about $300,000 — combined with New Jersey’s 2% cap on local tax levy increases as key factors driving an annual operating shortfall of roughly $1.7 million.
Over time, that gap has compounded into nearly $23 million in foregone revenue, according to the board’s discussion.
Officials have said the imbalance is not the result of mismanagement, but a historical funding issue that has already led to significant cuts, including the elimination of roughly 30 staff positions over the past three years, larger class sizes, and reductions to academic programs and extracurricular activities.
The proposed funding increase is being presented as a stabilizing measure rather than a permanent solution, with officials emphasizing that it would help maintain current staffing and programs while longer-term options are explored.
Staffing impacts were a central focus of the board’s discussion. Members have noted that the loss of approximately 30 staff positions has been significant for a district of Robbinsville’s size and has contributed to increasing class sizes.
Concerns were raised about maintaining educational quality if additional reductions are required, particularly as the district faces potential cuts to core academic programs and student activities.
In his December column, Pizzo described how the financial strain is already affecting students, including the district’s inability to add new clubs despite student interest.
“Yet, unfortunately, we cannot create additional clubs given our tight finances and limited facilities for the 2025–26 school year,” he wrote.
The board also discussed financial pressures on athletics and extracurricular programs, which have already seen higher participation fees assessed to families. Officials warned that without additional revenue, further reductions could affect both middle school and high school offerings.
Board members, including President Peter Oehlberg, have emphasized the importance of clearly explaining the proposal to residents and ensuring transparency about its financial impact as the March 10 vote approaches.
Regionalization was discussed as a possible long-term option, though officials noted that Robbinsville’s reputation as an efficient, lower-cost district could complicate potential mergers with neighboring districts that have higher per-pupil costs.
Any regionalization effort would require approval from multiple communities and could take several years to implement.
In addition to the referendum, the board has discussed supplemental revenue ideas such as expanded facility rentals and potential advertising or video boards at athletic facilities. Officials have described those initiatives as helpful but insufficient on their own to address the district’s immediate funding gap.
Community engagement has remained a recurring theme throughout the discussion.
“I firmly believe that the best way to meet a challenge is head-on, by working together to develop workable solutions,” Pizzo wrote. “That is exactly what we are doing, and together, we can navigate these challenges successfully.”
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The upcoming March 10 referendum represents the latest effort by the district to stabilize its finances, building on a referendum approved in March 2024 and reflecting continued budget pressures that officials say cannot be addressed within the state’s 2 percent tax levy cap.
In November 2023, voters rejected a $4.8 million public question placed on the general election ballot. That measure was intended to cover both an operating budget shortfall and the potential loss of state aid.
Following that defeat, the Robbinsville Board of Education approved a smaller referendum, which went before voters in a March 12, 2024, special election. Voters approved the $2.75 million tax levy increase, allowing the district to incorporate additional funds into its 2024–25 school budget.
The funding was designated to help maintain teachers and instructional assistants, current programs, facilities, courtesy busing, and funding for athletics and co-curricular activities. Thet approval resulted in a permanent increase to the school tax levy.
At the time, then-Superintendent Brian Betze explained that projected expenses for the 2024–25 budget were expected to rise by about $3 million, while the district was limited to a 2 percent tax levy increase of roughly $825,500. That gap created a shortfall of more than $2.1 million.
“The $4.8 didn’t pass because it was too high,” Betze said at the time. “So now we’re figuring that we need at least $2.75 million for the 2024–25 school year to avoid significant cuts to the district.”
He cautioned that even with approval of the smaller March referendum, the district could still face additional reductions if state aid was not restored.
Earlier this month a school tax funding referendum failed. The budget crisis was the result of declining state aid in recent years. Pictured above is Robbinsville Robbinsville High School.,
