Ridgewood School Budget Crisis: 1,000+ Signatures Against Teacher Layoffs as Meeting Looms
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Ridgewood NJ, The tension in Ridgewood is reaching a boiling point. As the Ridgewood Board of Education prepares for its Monday night meeting, the community is rallying against a proposed $134 million budget that threatens both their wallets and their workforce.
With a looming 4% tax levy increase and the heartbreaking prospect of losing beloved educators, the debate over the district’s financial future has moved from the boardroom to the front porches of New Jersey’s premier suburban enclave.
The $134 Million Question: Higher Taxes, Fewer Teachers?
According to the latest budget presentations, Ridgewood homeowners are looking at an average tax increase of $527 per year. While the district grapples with rising health insurance and maintenance costs—a trend seen across the country—the local impact feels deeply personal.
The most contentious point? Teacher layoffs. District officials, including Superintendent Schwarz, have acknowledged that staff reductions could lead to increased class sizes. While the district aims to keep classes under 30 students, parents and students are questioning the trade-off, especially as questions arise regarding recent administrative hires.
The “Keep Coach Franklin” Movement
The community’s frustration has found a focal point in a viral petition. Over 1,100 people have signed a plea to save Mr. Franklin, a physical education teacher at Benjamin Franklin Middle School and a staple of the Ridgewood Wrestling program.
“Mr. Franklin is being laid off as a result of budget cuts… we appreciate the advocacy of the students,” the district noted in a recent statement, adding that they are “taking examples under consideration” to reduce positions without losing valued staff.
A Shift in Power: Why Voters Can’t Say “No”
This budget cycle feels different for many residents because of a fundamental change in how school spending is approved. Ridgewood voters previously relinquished their right to vote directly on the school budget—a move spearheaded by the group One Village One Vote! and supported by the Ridgewood League of Women Voters.
One Village One Vote! was the brain child of Siobhan Crann Winograd, Bob Fuhrman, Matthew Lindenberg, Stacey Loscalzo, Deborah Steinbaum and heavily promoted by the Ridgewood League of Women Voters.
Without a direct ballot box recourse, the public’s only platform is the Board of Education meeting.
Meeting Details: Make Your Voice Heard
The community is expected to turn out in record numbers to demand transparency and a reassessment of the current fiscal path.
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What: Ridgewood Board of Education Regular Public Meeting
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When: Monday, April 20, 2026
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Time: 7:00 p.m.
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Focus: Finalizing the $134M Budget and Staffing Allotments
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Tags: #RidgewoodNJ #EducationNews #NJPropertyTaxes #SaveOurTeachers #SchoolBudget #RidgewoodPublicSchoo
Health care costs are too expensive
They are, but your observation offers no path to a solution. Renegotiations with the Teachers’ Union are a must, or some of them will need to go. There are no other solutions.
The supply of tax dollars is not without limits.
In the real world employee medical premium costs are controlled with reasonable changes.
and with employee participation in cost sharing. Negotiate with the union, or terminate all the staff that needs to go.
Increase class sizes
Layoff some bureaucrats at Cottage place
Get rid of the low copay cadillac health care plans
Let residents vote again
That train left the station. They have the power, and will not relinquish it – ever.
Per Johnny Cash, that train has not only left the station, it’s rolled around the bend, and we won’t see the sunshine til God knows when.
The parents pushed for language in elementary school and that should be eliminated. I am pretty sure most of the kids aren’t retaining any of it. The guidance counselor at Hawes is useless unless you want your kid to be the class door matt and run to her office to play games every time they are bullied. The principal advised they are assigning staff to behavior training in all of the grades because 50% of the staff gripe about kids being kids. There should be staff training some of that staff on how to manage their classroom or not to dramatize every action of a child.
Too many fringe appointments in the last few years when state aid was high.
Also a lucrative teachers union contract with added benefits and above inflation rate was signed and LOCKED for FiVE years.
This is not a single year problem. Same will happen next year and the year after!
Shouldn’t staff already be knowledgeable in how to manage the class? If not how did they even get the job!
I vote no for the referendum and no for every member of this council.
Cold comfort.
We added too many positions when we were drunk with state aid. Now comes the Piper. Unfortunate, but if anybody didn’t see this coming, they weren’t paying attention.
This is not an attack on the teachers or administrators as these are real people and this is not their fault.
We, the taxpayers are at fault as we all want to go to heaven but nobody is willing to die.