Layoffs and Budget Cuts Hit Paterson
Across the state of New Jersey, the ongoing shortage of teachers and paraprofessionals is apparent, but what happens when these districts don’t have the funds to bridge that gap?
In the City of Paterson, the school district made the difficult decision of cutting 208 teaching jobs for the 2026-27 school year. 169 of these jobs were through attrition or closing vacancies, leaving 39 teachers and 50 district employees facing job loss.
This decision from the board of education comes after the closure of four schools and an 8 percent tax hike on residents to help balance out their $851 million budget for the next fiscal year.
Additionally, maintenance funding for schools has been severely gutted, going from $9.2 million to just $876,346– a 90 percent cut. Many of the buildings used by the district for instruction are very old, with several of its educational facilities nearing 100 years of age.
A Growing Statewide Pattern
Though for schools all over the state, the situation seems to be the same– there just isn’t enough.
In Hackensack, a total of 108 teachers and instructional staff were laid off and in Montclair residents are facing an increase in local taxes to help address a $19.1 million budget deficit, a NorthJersey.com article reports.
While it’s hard to pinpoint what led to the crisis at hand, school leaders are calling this a perfect storm, citing multiple factors exacerbating the issue.
“Like districts across the state, we are navigating the combined impact of rising operational costs, the expiration of federal pandemic relief funds, and ongoing funding constraints” Superintendent of Paterson Public Schools Dr. Laurie W. Newell told NJ.com.
Charter Schools are Siphoning Funding
Some district leaders argue charter school funding structures are compounding the issue.
“If a resident student chooses to attend a charter school, their home school district ‘passes through’ 90 percent of the funding for that student.” an article from New Jersey Policy Perspective reads. This funding includes both state aid and local revenues.
In the case of Paterson Public Schools, the district passes on a total of $188 million, or 24 percent of the budget to charter schools students attend.
District leaders and education advocates argue that these funding obligations place additional financial strain on already struggling school systems.
Pressure on Public Education
While districts continue to make cuts to close widening budget gaps, educators, students and families are left uncertain about what comes next.
For communities like Paterson, the crisis extends beyond spreadsheets and figures. Every layoff directly affects classrooms and reduces a support system as the district struggles to maintain stability amid growing financial pressure.
For Paterson and other districts facing similar shortfalls, the question is no longer whether cuts will happen, but how far they may go.
