Black Balloons and Budget Cuts: Upper Saddle River Slashing 27 School Positions to Fill $2.6M Hole
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
UPPER SADDLE RIVER, NJ — A somber atmosphere filled the room at the recent Upper Saddle River Board of Education hearing, as teachers arrived clutching black balloons—each one bearing the name of a colleague whose job is being eliminated.
Despite weeks of vocal protests from parents and educators, the Board officially approved a $32 million budget that resolves a massive $2.6 million shortfall through significant staff reductions rather than asking voters for more money.
The $2.6 Million “Insurance Crisis”
The primary driver behind the fiscal crisis isn’t a lack of state aid or declining enrollment—it’s a staggering 30% spike in health insurance premiums.
To balance the books, the Board faced a difficult choice: ask the community for a tax increase above the state-mandated 2% cap via a public referendum, or cut deep into the district’s workforce. They chose the latter.
The “Manifesto”: Why a Referendum Was Off the Table
In a 13-page handout distributed to the public, the Board defended its decision to avoid a public vote (referendum). Their reasoning focused on three key points:
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Cost of Voting: A referendum would cost the district between $15,000 and $50,000 just to hold.
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Uncertainty: There was no guarantee voters would approve the tax hike.
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Fiscal Sustainability: The Board argued that “cost reductions” were necessary to align the district with current revenue, rather than relying on a one-time tax fix.
The Human Cost: Who is Being Cut?
The approved budget eliminates 27 positions across nearly every department in the district. Here is the final breakdown of the staff reductions:
| Department | Positions Cut | Total Remaining |
| Classroom Teachers | 11 | 119 left of 130 |
| Paraprofessionals | 7 | 44 left of 51 |
| District Specialists | 3 | 9 left of 12 |
| Campus Aides | 3 | 3 left of 6 |
| Administrative | 1 | 9 left of 10 |
| Secretarial/Custodial | 2 | 24 combined |
The Class Size Impact: While the loss of 11 teachers is significant, the district claims the impact on students will be “minimal,” with class sizes in select grades expected to increase by only one or two students.
The Tax Impact on Homeowners
For Upper Saddle River residents, the budget still includes a tax increase, though it stays within the limits that avoid a public vote.
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Total Tax Levy: $26.8 million (representing 41% of your total property tax bill).
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Average Assessment: For a home valued at $796,936, taxes will rise by 2.75%.
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Annual Increase: Homeowners can expect to pay roughly $142 more per year.
A Community Divided
The silence from leadership following the hearing has left many parents frustrated. Interim Superintendent Lauren Schoen and Board President Susan Gandara have not provided further comment on how the district will maintain its high educational standards with 27 fewer pairs of hands on deck.
As the black balloons are deflated, the Upper Saddle River community is left to wonder: Is this the “stable path” the Board promised, or the beginning of a decline for one of the county’s top school systems?
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Tags: #UpperSaddle River #USR #NJEducation #SchoolBudget #TeacherLayoffs #BergenCounty #NJTaxes #EducationNews
This is just ridiculous, we’re talking about $12 a mother house hold, for the staff, and five bucks per household to pay for the voting, ridiculous
This is really no savings,, put the vote out to the homeowners.