The Lenape Regional School District is thriving, sharing on its website the fact that the average graduation rate across its four high schools is 96.2% and that it consistently outperforms state and national averages in Advanced Placement (AP) scores, SAT results and other college and career readiness benchmarks.
Innovation, creativity and high achievement remain core to the district’s mission, helped by the strong community backing of Evesham, Medford, Medford Lakes, Mount Laurel, Shamong, Southampton, Tabernacle and Woodland, as well as dedicated staff committed to inspiring student success.
And while all this is good news, district officials are frustrated by ongoing declines in state funding, rising energy costs and increased health insurance expenses.
This year’s state aid to the Lenape disrict is down by 3%, or $567,953, bringing total funding to just over $18.3 million.
“It’s unbelievable that with all the tax dollars collected from community members in our eight townships, our district gets back pennies on the dollar from the state,” said the district board of education’s finance chair, David Stow. “With this latest reduction, the state is only funding 10.29% of our proposed budget for next year.”
The board adopted a $178.3-million general fund budget for the 2025–‘26 school year on April 30 that is a 1.92% increase over the previous year. It includes a 14% increase in health-care costs, but the district continues to face a deficit in employee health-care contributions due to the mandated New Jersey Educators Health Plan.
Stow emphasized the board’s commitment to fiscal responsibility. According to the New Jersey Department of Education’s Taxpayer’s Guide to Education Spending, Lenape ranks as the top-performing regional school district in the state, with the fewest administrators per faculty member and per student. It spends nearly 30% less than the state-mandated regional limit on administrative costs per pupil.
Stow also noted that the state funding cut could have been even more severe if not for last-minute adjustments made by the education department.
“Some of the positive changes in how the state applied the funding formula this year are not written into law,” he explained, “which leaves us very uncertain about what to expect next year and beyond.”
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Carol Birnbohm expressed frustration with the instability of state funding formula.
“We continue to request an explanation of the changing multipliers from our elected officials and the (state) Commissioner of Education,” she lamented, “and we have not been provided any clear path to predict them. There needs to be accountability. We are relieved that we were able to balance this year’s budget without overburdening our taxpayers or cutting staff and student programs.
“But while many districts are finding ways to expand opportunities with increased state aid, our administration is focused on simply maintaining the status quo,” Birnbohm added. “It’s frustrating that despite the amount of money the state collects from our communities, we can’t afford basic services like a late bus, let alone invest in new, innovative programs that prepare our students for future success.”
Birnbohm has been leading the charge on fair funding: She testified in January before the state education department regarding the School Funding Reform Act.
“When (the Lenape district) creates its budget, every line item is scrutinized,” she noted. “Fixed costs exist, but salaries and benefits, which comprise the majority of the budget, inherently require consistent increases. Flat or reduced funding is incompatible with maintaining quality education, especially in a state like New Jersey, which prides itself on being one of the highest-performing education systems in the nation.
“A state budget and school funding formula that allows any district to receive less funding than the prior year defies logic,” Birnbohm continued. “New Jersey’s education budget must fully support all 600-plus school districts, with moderate annual funding increases, to reduce the tax burden on citizens while safeguarding educational quality.
The superintendent also emphasized the district’s careful financial planning.
“Over the past 10 or more years, (the district) has implemented cost-saving measures, including eliminating positions, limiting transportation services, cutting academic and extracurricular programs and increasing class sizes. Given inflationary pressures and the 2% tax levy cap, the formula must ensure funding increases, not reductions, for all districts.”
The 2025-’26 spending plan increases regional school taxes in five of the eight sending districts:
Evesham: Tax-levy increase of 1.80 cents results in an increase in regional school taxes of $46.03 on a home assessed at the township average of $272,483.
Medford: Tax-levy decrease of 1.42 cents means a decrease in regional school taxes of $51.33 on a home assessed at the township average of $330,345.
Medford Lakes: Tax-levy increase of 7.24 cents results in an increase in regional school taxes of $219.93 on a home assessed at the borough average of $290,821.
Mount Laurel: Tax-levy increase of 3.24 cents means an increase in regional school taxes of $88.27 on a home assessed at the township average of $239,989.
Shamong: Tax-levy increase of 3.58 cents results in an increase in regional school taxes of $115.88 on a home assessed at the township average of $311,138.
Southampton Township: Tax-levy decrease of 2.97 cents means a decrease in regional school taxes of $54.08 on a home assessed at the township average of $189,284.
Tabernacle Township: Tax-levy increase of .51 cents results in an increase in regional school taxes of $11.61 on a home assessed at the township average of $274,091.
Woodland Township: Tax-levy decrease of .65 cents means a decrease in regional school taxes of $19.85 on a home assessed at the township average of $255,866.
