Hackensack Schools Under Siege: County Demands $7M in Emergency Cuts to Avoid State Takeover
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
HACKENSACK, NJ — The financial crisis gripping the Hackensack Public School district has reached a tipping point. With a looming deadline of Wednesday, May 6, 2026, the Board of Education is racing to slash an additional $7 million from its budget after the county executive superintendent rejected their initial proposal for not being “aggressive enough.”
The district is now staring down a total $24 million budget gap for the upcoming school year—a deficit that threatens to fundamentally reshape the city’s educational landscape.
The Ultimatum: Deeper Cuts or a State Monitor
Interim Executive County Superintendent Patrick Fletcher delivered the hard news: the April preliminary budget, which already eliminated 100 staff positions, was insufficient. To balance the books, the district must now find millions more in savings.
Failure to secure county approval by the May 6 deadline could result in the appointment of a state monitor. This move would:
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Strip Local Control: The state would take over all spending and staffing decisions.
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Cost Taxpayers More: A state monitor costs roughly $200,000 per year, a bill paid directly by local taxpayers.
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Prolonged Oversight: Nearby Ridgefield Park only recently emerged from 10 years of state monitoring.
How Did Hackensack Get Here?
The “perfect storm” of financial mismanagement was uncovered during a January audit. Auditor Steven Wielkotz identified several critical failures:
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The “COVID Cliff”: The district used temporary federal pandemic funds to pay for permanent, ongoing expenses. When the money dried up, the costs remained.
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Ballooning Staff vs. Declining Enrollment: Since 2020, student enrollment dropped by 6.5%, yet staffing levels surged by 20% (from 751 to 903 employees).
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Loss of Tuition Revenue: The 2019 end of the Maywood sending agreement resulted in a $4.5 million annual loss.
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Health Care Spikes: A staggering 37% increase in health benefit costs is hitting the district this coming year.
The Legal Fallout
The current board has taken aggressive legal action, suing former Superintendent Thomas McBryde and the former business administrator. The lawsuit alleges improper hiring practices and financial mismanagement that directly led to the current $17 million structural deficit.
“Unfortunately, this will mean the loss of additional positions, field trips, and programs. We have limited options.” — Board President Jennifer Harris
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