Layoffs, School Resource Officer Cuts Loom In Wayne Schools Budget

WAYNE, NJ — Dozens of Wayne Schools positions could be cut and police School Resource Officers could be replaced by an in-house security program next year, after officials reported a $7.1 million budget deficit.

Balancing the 2025/2026 budget is "a real struggle" particularly due to rising salaries and employee benefits, said Business Administrator William Moffitt. Those increases alone are close to $9 million next year.

"They outpace our revenue, so that will pull resources away from non-salary related items, and that usually means facilities and technology, those types of areas," he said.

Officials introduced a tentative $197.8 million operating budget, which includes a 2 percent tax increase, at the March 20 meeting. For a home assessed at $200,000, that is a yearly increase of $245.

"The budget we submit will be balanced, but the real challenge is carrying out all actions needed to get to the numbers included in the balanced budget," Superintendent Dr. Mark Toback said in a presentation separate from Moffitt's.

Those measures include cutting 40 jobs across the district, not replacing 18 retirees, non-renewals of 10 contracts, and leaving three vacant positions unfilled: A total of 71 positions.

The district could also move to a pay-to-play model for athletics and extracurriculars and privatize before- and after-school care to help make ends meet, Toback said on Thursday. And the district also plans to cancel a $1.2 million shared services agreement with the township to provide for School Resource Officers and Special Law Enforcement Officers, and move to an "in-house" security program.

"There's many districts that have their own in house security program, and that would save us quite a bit of money," Toback said.

Costs for support services for special education, which much of Wayne's state aid funding was allocated towards this year, are also increasing.

And the budget gap will continue growing each year as costs keep rising, Toback said, noting how other school districts including Lakewood and Hillsborough are also facing tough decisions this year.

Generally, New Jersey school districts and municipalities cannot raise a property tax levy by more than 2 percent without getting voter approval.

The budget has not been formally approved; there is a final public hearing on the matter at the May 1 meeting, where the staffing plan for the 2025/2026 year will be presented.