MONTVALE—The Pascack Valley Regional High School District has approved a $72,754,203 preliminary budget for 2026–2027 that would increase local property taxes by about 5.11% across its four sending towns, officials said.
The March 16 vote sends the budget to the Bergen County Superintendent’s Office for review. It returns to the regional board for a final public hearing and adoption on April 27.
The proposal calls for $60,631,424 to be raised by taxation, with $2,078,200 in debt service, for a total tax levy of $62,709,624.
Business Administrator Cynthia Kirk told trustees the budget increase is driven in large part by a more than 30% rise in health care costs. The district applied a $1,897,377 healthcare adjustment to help offset those increases.
Kirk said administrators reduced the initial proposal by about $3.5 million, including cuts to two instructional positions and six support staff, to limit the tax impact.
Under the state funding formula, the tax burden is apportioned as follows:
- Hillsdale: 23% ($14.5 million), average increase of $236 annually
- Montvale: 28% ($17.6 million), average increase of $412.11 annually
- River Vale: 25% ($16.3 million), average increase of $241 annually
- Woodcliff Lake: 22.7% ($14.2 million), average increase of $508 annually
Kirk said 67% of the budget is allocated to salaries and benefits.
She also outlined several program additions, including a new microeconomics course, expanded support for English Language Learners, and professional development tied to Advanced Placement and other programs. The district also plans to expand classroom use of Gemini artificial intelligence tools, add new clubs at both high schools, and purchase a school bus to improve transportation efficiency.
To meet special education needs, the budget includes funding for two paraprofessionals.
A $1.6 million capital project—replacement of the rooftop HVAC unit for Pascack Valley High School’s lecture hall—is planned using capital reserve funds, Kirk said.
The district’s budget presentation was delivered via a 20-minute slide show that was not visible in the archived meeting video. Pascack Press has requested a copy and asked whether the materials will be made publicly available.
Following the presentation, Interim Superintendent Dirk Phillips and Director of Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment Mark Russo addressed school rankings and absenteeism data, saying both can inform improvement efforts but should not be overemphasized.
Russo noted that both schools ranked highly in the latest U.S. News & World Report New Jersey rankings: Pascack Hills at No. 59 and Pascack Valley at No. 61.