LEONARDO, N.J. — Things for Middletown residents could be getting worse.
Just days after announcing plans to close three schools, Middletown Township Public School District is now considering a tax hike of over 10% under a new state incentive program aimed at boosting district revenues.
In a letter sent to families Monday, Superintendent Jessica Alfone said the district recently became eligible for a New Jersey Department of Education tax incentive program. If approved, the program would allow the district to raise an additional $8.37 million — a 5.2% increase in revenue from local taxes — along with a potential $418,648 in state aid for the 2025–2026 school year.
Combined with a previously approved 4.88% levy increase, the total tax hike could reach 10.1%, pending community feedback and application approval.
“There are a limited number of districts in the state that have qualified based on their financial progress towards adequacy,” Alfone wrote in the letter. She added that the development was not available in time to be considered during the district’s original budget planning process.
The district said the increase is part of a broader effort to improve long-term efficiency and revenue, though it comes amid backlash over the recent school closure announcements.
In response to the new information, the district scheduled four community forums to discuss the tax proposal and hear public input. Meetings will be held on March 26, March 31, April 9, and April 10 across different Middletown school facilities, with live streams available on the district’s YouTube channel.
The district did not say whether or not this additional tax increase would halt previous plans for closing schools.
Residents protesting these drastic changes have cited mismanagement by the board and district, along with several ethics complaints by the board regarding last week’s meeting. At that meeting, hundreds of people were kept out and police were called.
Board President Frank Capone and Board Vice President Jacqueline Tobacco have not publicly commented on the matter as of yet. Instead, their Twitter feeds this weekend were full of political campaign messages against Bill Spadea and pro-Jack Ciattarelli election posts.
