Hackensack Schools in Crisis: $169M Budget Vote Looms as 100+ Staff Face Layoffs
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Hackensack NJ, The Hackensack Public School District is racing against a ticking clock. On Wednesday, May 6, 2026, school officials are set to vote on a massive $169 million budget that could fundamentally reshape the city’s schools—and not for the better.
Faced with a state-mandated deadline of May 7, the Board of Education is grappling with a financial emergency that includes over 100 additional staffing cuts, emergency borrowing, and a $7 million deficit that refuses to close.
The “Unprecedented” Cuts: Who is Affected?
The layoffs are hitting nearly every corner of the district. While earlier reductions had already taken place, Acting Superintendent Andrea Oates-Parchment confirmed that the “100 is additional.”
The breakdown of proposed staffing reductions is staggering:
-
Administrative & Central Office: 23% reduction.
-
Non-Bargaining Staff: 22% reduction.
-
Custodial & Maintenance: 20% reduction (roughly 13 staff members).
-
Teaching Staff: 15% reduction across the district.
In April alone, the board moved to eliminate four assistant principal positions and eight administrative roles, citing “economy and efficiency.”
A Discovery That Shook the District
The roots of the crisis trace back to June 2025. Upon taking her role, Oates-Parchment was alerted that the district might fail to make payroll.
To keep the lights on and paychecks flowing for the 2025-26 school year, the district received emergency permission to raid its own reserves. However, the “band-aid” fix hasn’t stopped the bleeding. The state recently rejected the district’s initial budget, leaving officials scrambling to bridge a remaining $7 million gap.
The $9.1 Million Borrowing Plan
To stay afloat, Hackensack is executing a high-stakes plan to borrow $9.1 million from its own restricted accounts:
-
$4.35 million from Capital Reserves.
-
$1.14 million from Maintenance Reserves.
-
$3.6 million from Unreserved Fund Balances.
Under a state-approved corrective action plan, the district must repay these funds over the next three years—a daunting task given the current deficit.
“What Will Our Schools Look Like in September?”
The human cost of the budget crisis took center stage during a recent 5.5-hour public meeting. Students and teachers shared emotional testimony, questioning how the district can provide a quality education with significantly fewer mentors, cleaners, and administrators.
BOE President Jennifer Harris noted that the students’ concerns were the most impactful, asking the question on everyone’s mind: “Who will be impacted in September, and when will students know?”
For now, the administration says their hands are tied. “This is not anything that we want to do; this is what we need to do,” said Oates-Parchment.
Meeting Details
-
When: Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at 6:15 p.m.
-
Where: Hackensack High School Media Center.
-
Agenda: Public hearing and final vote on the $169,122,608 budget.
Tell your story #TheRidgewoodblog , #Indpendentnews, #information, #advertise, #guestpost, #affiliatemarketing,#NorthJersey, #NJ , #News, #localnews, #bergencounty, #sponsoredpost, #SponsoredContent, #contentplacement , #linkplacement, Email: Onlyonesmallvoice@gmail.com
Tags: #Hackensack #BergenCounty #NJEd #SchoolBudget #SaveOurTeachers #HackensackHighSchool #PublicEducation
Student Test Scores:
Percent Proficient – Reading 50%
Percent Proficient – Math 19%
Board of Education cares more about patronage than test scores.
Keep building “affordable housing” with tax abatements. Says the majority of representatives in Trenton.