The budget for the New Jersey school district has been adopted by the Board of Education (BOe) due to a seven percent tax hike, largely due to rising healthcare costs. The district faced a 45 percent increase in health care costs, amounting to over $13 million. To mitigate this, the district switched to a self-funded health benefits model to manage costs more directly and reduce long-term financial pressure. The budget also includes the transition of five educators to the elementary level and managing retirements, reassessment of retirements and non-renewals.