Another Admin Leaving Wayne Schools; BOE Asks State For Special Ed Aid

WAYNE, NJ — The business administrator for Wayne Public Schools is retiring, marking the latest departure from the district's front office.

At the last school board meeting, it was announced that William Moffitt, who has been Business Administrator since 2018, will retire in April.

"Under his leadership, the business office has thrived to become a model of efficiency throughout the state," Board President Donald Pavlak said.

The board of education had recently approved a promotion for Moffitt to a new role of Chief Operations Officer — and elevated the Assistant Business Administrator to his old position — but the Executive County Superintendent of Schools for Passaic County apparently did not approve the new roles.

With Moffitt's impending departure, there are now three administrators who will be gone from the district by next year. Assistant Superintendent Donna Reichman retired in November, and Superintendent Mark Toback will retire in August, with the search for his successor getting underway.

Pavlak thanked Moffitt for his work on a number of projects, from managing the district's technology needs during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic to the full-day kindergarten program.

"The countless hours he spent working behind the scenes to ensure that our schools remain strong and efficient are truly appreciated by all," he said.

A number of other retirements were announced on Jan. 16, including data supervisor Jyh-Woei Shiue, Wayne Valley High School special education teacher Ken Ferrare, and nurse paraprofessional Wendy Fattorusso.

District being 'pushed to the brink,' board says

The board has asked the state Department of Education to provide more funding for special education aid, after the district's expenses increased by more than 6 percent this school year. This includes money for teacher and paraprofessional salaries, transportation, and tuition.

This year's budget included a $2 million increase for student support services, but the district has not been getting increased funding from a state program meant to reimburse those costs. Wayne Schools applied for $7.5 million in Extraordinary Special Education Aid for the 2023-24 school year, and was awarded $4.6 million, according to the board's letter. The district received more funding in the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years, closer to $5 million.

Rising special education costs have forced the district to divert resources away from other parts of the budget, the board said in a letter signed by Pavlak.

"Our school district is being pushed to the brink by escalating extraordinary special education costs that far outstrip the meager increases in aid," the letter states. "This disparity forces us to make impossible choices, compromising the quality of education for all students."