Johnson and Hoboken Board of Education Propose a 24.3% School Tax Increase Despite Receiving Millions from the State for Choice Students

 The Hoboken School District receives $2,911,656 (figure 1) for 164 Choice students (figure 2- lower right-hand corner of page) attending the district from outside the physical perimeters of the City of Hoboken. This information may be relevant as the City of Hoboken grapples with an historical increase in the local school tax levy of over 24%. 

Figure 1: NJ State Aid 2024-25

2024-25 ASSA Report - Hoboken 

According to NJ.com, Hoboken property owners are being slammed with a tax increase of more than $600 under the school district’s proposed budget for the 2024-25 school year, which gained initial approval Tuesday night. Much of the 24.3% increase is a result of a growing staff, rising staff salaries and higher facilities costs, Superintendent Christine Johnson said Wednesday. The tax levy for the owner of an average home would jump by $632, district Business Administrator Joyce Goode said. The $88.4 million budget is $14.8 million higher than the current school year’s budget of $73.6 million.

In 2010 a bill was passed in NJ essentially limiting/eliminating the need for a school budget vote if the proposed budget is 2% or lower than the previous year's budget.