WESTFIELD — As the Westfield Board of Education prepares for its upcoming election season, district officials are working to navigate new state-level regulations that will effectively redefine the amount of direct control that local voters will have over the 2024-2025 school budget.

Last year, Westfield residents overwhelmingly voted to approve the district’s base operating budget of $111,882,749 (which represented a 3.95-percent increase to the local tax levy) in accordance with the state’s off-season election and budgetary regulations. A second ballot question, which also passed with a strong amount of community support, allowed the district to hire about seven new staff members (including two elementary- school guidance counselors and other support professionals) by allocating an additional $949,995 in taxpayer funds to a specific line in the budget.

And while voters will still have the opportunity to weigh in on district spending, Superintendent Raymond González, Ed.D., said, this year’s ballot is likely to carry a different amount of weight than it did last year.

On January 16, Governor Phil Murphy signed Public Law 2023, c.289 (Senate Bill 4209), which eliminates the need for a public budget vote for any Type II school district (defined by the state as any school district established in a municipality other than a city, every consolidated school district, and every regional school district) that has moved its election to April.

The exception, Dr. González said, speaking during Tuesday evening’s regular board of education meeting, will be any part of a proposed budget that would require a district to raise the local tax levy by more than 2 percent — the same cap level that has traditionally been applied to districts that hold their elections in November.

In other words, Dr. González continued, the district will work over the coming weeks to finalize a “reasonable” base line budget within the designated confines of the standardized cap.

The sitting members of the board will then be asked to vote to approve that portion of the budget in March.

Any additionally proposed expenditures, however, will still need to be put to a public vote.

According to this year’s preliminary budget presentation, the district will need to raise taxes by a total of about 3.58 percent in order to prevent lay-offs and maintain its current level of programming. That number could still go up before the budget is finalized, Dr. González said, given the fact that the district has not yet received its annual state aid package or finalized its anticipated insurance expenses.

“This legislation moved through a lot faster than we thought it would,” district Business Administrator Patty Ramos said. “We’re looking at this as a positive change for us. The state is recognizing that a lot more districts have been trying to move their elections to April because the blanket 2-percent cap has not been working. This gives everyone a better chance, and we think it’s a good start.”

In the event that the public vote fails, Ms. Ramos said, speaking with The Westfield Leader via written communication after Tuesday night’s meeting, the district will be required to find a way to operate without exceeding the cap.

“The 2024-2025 budget is too preliminary at this point to predict what will be in the additional spending proposal,” Ms. Ramos said. “However, if a vote on the additional spending proposal fails, those proposed expenditures would not be implemented and could not be reallocated for the 2024-2025 school district operating budget.”

Unlike last year, no portion of the budget will be sent to the town council for review.

Westfield is one of about a dozen districts in the state that will be impacted by the new regulations.

The board also discussed the possibility of asking the public to approve a larger spending proposal that would allow the district to better align its finances with the goals and objectives of its five-year strategic plan.

“I would strongly suggest that the public go out and read through the budget once we have more of the details in place,” Board Vice President Robert Benacchio said, adding that the district will still be required to comply with certain state mandates, including curriculum standards, salary requirements and health-insurance costs as part of its base operational budget going forward. “I also think that public input is going to be very important. My initial thought is that we have to do more than just running in place, but right now, we need more information.”

“We have at least $35 million less than we would have had without the 2-percent cap that was put into place in 2010. As a result, our district has basically had to cut everything that it possibly could over the past decade, and that includes making staff cuts,” board member Sahar Aziz said. “We are now at a point where we’re trying to rebuild, and that’s going to take a long time.”

The board will host a more detailed budget presentation for the public on Tuesday, February 13, that will explain exactly which programs, services and staff positions will need to be funded by the upcoming ballot vote.

In other election news, completed candidacy petitions currently are being accepted for those looking to fill one of the three open seats on the board.

Applicants are required to garner at least 10 signatures in support of their candidacy.

Petitions are due by 4 p.m. on Monday, February 26. Candidates may email petitions to pramos@westfieldnjk12.org, with a copy to mestevez@westfieldnjk12.org, or submit by mail to Patricia Ramos, 302 Elm Street, Westfield, N.J. 07090.

The drawing of names for position on the Tuesday, April 16 ballot will be done by Ms. Ramos on Wednesday, March 6, at 2 p.m., at 302 Elm Street.

The nominating petition and additional information are posted under the Board tab at www.westfieldnjk12.org.