Paterson teachers rally against projected layoffs
The superintendent’s cabinet had said the “worst case scenario” was hundreds of jobs lost.
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Up to "a couple of hundred" layoffs are on the table as the Paterson School District aims to balance its budget. Monday evening, hundreds of staffers rallied outside the Board of Education before the budget public hearing, chanting "save our staff."
Paterson is one of New Jersey's five largest districts, with more than 20,000 students and over 3,000 staffers. Hours before the public hearing on the budget, the union president said they don’t know how many of their jobs are on the line.
The superintendent has pointed to rising costs, specifically healthcare, special education and transportation. She has also stated a focus on minimizing the academic impact of any cuts.
The tax levy is set to go up 8% - the district says that’s $143 for the average assessed home.
Paterson’s charter schools are expanding, and funding for them is legally required in the public school budget. The district received more than $35 million in increased state funding, but the district says about three-quarters of it is going toward the charter school expansion.
Public school teachers fear steep cuts on their end. The superintendent’s cabinet had said the “worst case scenario” was hundreds of jobs lost.
The district’s test scores are below state averages, but have improved more recently.
“Those scores you're talking about really is an indicator of how well our staff interact with our students, how well we're making improvements, and we would hate to see any regress to those improvements based upon any sort of cut," said Paterson Education Association President John McEntee.
McEntee added it is unclear if the final vote is Monday or Wednesday night.
