One of the significant challenges school districts face across New Jersey is creating a budget during times of cost escalation. As I have shared on numerous occasions, the state funding formula, coupled with a 2% cap, strains every school in New Jersey. 

The fiscal stress derives from areas of the budget that accelerate at a level greater than 2% on a year-over-year basis, specifically healthcare, negotiated raises, transportation, utilities, and out-of-district tuition costs. Essentially, to roll the budget over on a year-over-year basis requires an additional 4-5% in revenue, which we do not have and cannot use. Therefore, Bridgewater-Raritan enters each “budget season,” looking for ways to enhance efficiencies and cut costs while preserving our programs.  

Our dedicated district team has examined the entire operation and found creative ways to close a budget gap that once stood at approximately $6 million. Thankfully, we have been able to do so while preserving programs and services for the nearly 8000 students who walk through our doors daily.  

The initial budget presentation will take place on March 18, and the budget hearing will occur on April 29 during our scheduled BOE meetings. We hope to see you there. You can also log in to our BOE meeting livestream.

On Wednesday, February 26, 2025, we hosted a “Coffee Chat” style event for families of students in the Bridgewater-Raritan ESL program. Families were invited from all 11 schools through School Messenger, ensuring they received communication in both English and their preferred language. The goal of the event was to create a welcoming environment where families could connect with others in the program, enjoy light refreshments, and meet the supervisor of ESL, the ESL instructional coach, and the district translator. This event served as the starting point for forming an authentic and organic district multilingual parent advisory committee.

According to the New Jersey Department of Education, a multilingual family advisory committee is designed to engage families and build support for multilingual students. About 20 family members from across the district attended, representing all grade levels. Linguistic diversity was evident, with 11 languages represented in addition to English: Amharic, Chinese, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Marathi, Russian, Serbian, Spanish, Telugu, and Turkish. Parents shared their experiences, asked questions, and brainstormed ideas for how the committee could support other multilingual families and students in the community.

At the end of the meeting, families exchanged contact information and formed a social network via WhatsApp to stay in touch and offer mutual support. Some next steps for the committee will include a follow-up meeting, collaborating with local libraries to identify resources for students, and compiling resources to help new multilingual families navigate the school system and community more easily.

LeighAnn Matthews, the BRRSD Supervisor for ESL and WL, reported that the highly successful "Coffee Chat" will continue this school year.

The Festival of the Arts, the signature event of the Visual and Performing Arts program in the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District, will be performed on four dates, including three during the month of March.

Students from Bridgewater-Raritan High School, Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School, Eisenhower Intermediate School, and Hillside Intermediate School will showcase their talents when the Chorus Concert is held on March 19, the Orchestra Concert is performed on March 26, the Band Concert is played on March 27, and then the Visual Arts show will be presented on May 22. All four productions are scheduled at the high school.

The Big Nick Classic was indeed a classic. The 24th edition of this highly popular event at the Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School provided a thrilling basketball game when the school's team of staff players edged the student squad, 46-45, on Thursday, February 20, before an enthusiastic crowd in the Middle School gymnasium.



The game, which is sponsored by the Middle School Student Council, is played annually. to honor the late Nick Klecz, who served as a teacher and coach in the school district for nearly 40 years, and was also dedicated in the memory of Dan Grigal, who was a beloved Physical Education Teacher and Basketball Coach at the Middle School.

Emergency Correspondence

You will be notified of school closings, delays, or early dismissal through the following platforms:



• School Messenger - please be sure your information is up-to-date in the Parent Portal.
• Social Media - Follow the district on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
• BRRSD Website - check for our Pop-ups!