Edison Township residents have launched a petition against a proposed school tax hike for the 2026-2027 school year, calling for a halt to the preliminary budget and instead return with a fiscally responsible alternative. The proposed budget would raise the local tax levy to $263,214,748, an increase of roughly $28 million over the current year. The petition criticizes the district's draw-down of financial reserves, including $19.5 million from a Bankers Cap fund, $1 million from capital reserves, and $5M from unassigned fund balance. It also criticizes a lack of transparency and demands a public accounting of all major expenditure increases before any levy is approved. The district is dealing with a $6 million cumulative hit from state aid cuts over the past two years, $11 million less in available surplus revenue, a $35 million increase in pre-K funding obligations, and a $7 million in contractual costs covering salaries, health benefits, out-of-district tuition and transportation.