Wall Township board adopts $91.15 million 2025–26 budget; eliminates 30 part‑time lunch paraprofessionals

The Wall Township Public School District Board of Education on April 29 adopted a $91,150,000 budget for the 2025–26 school year that the administration said closes a funding gap through a mix of attrition, reassignments and a reduction of 31 full‑time equivalent positions, including elimination of 30 part‑time lunch paraprofessionals.

The vote, taken after a public budget hearing and presentation, was unanimous. Board President Michael Malouf presided as the board approved the proposal at the meeting held April 29 in Wall Township. The district projects an average residential property with an assessed value of $493,600 would see an annual tax increase of $200.05 under the proposal.

District officials and the board said the budget response was driven by a 13% projected increase in employee health benefits. To offset that cost, the district requested a state health‑benefit waiver that would allow an additional 2.2% increase in the tax levy beyond the standard 2% cap. Administration materials and the budget presentation said the district expects to capture more than $600,000 in salary savings this year through combined attrition and lower‑step hiring; the district also reported a net decrease of 31 FTEs in the proposed budget.

Parents, employees and the Wall Township Education Association pressed the board during public comment over the elimination of the 30 part‑time lunch paraprofessionals. Kathy Sayers, a Wall Township resident and former paraprofessional who said she now holds a staff position in the WTEA, told the board, "This may seem like a minor detail in the grand scheme of education, but I assure you it's anything but."

Gail Marr, president of the WTEA and a teacher in the district, said the paraprofessionals "are vital guardians of our students' safety, dietary, and emotional health" and urged the board to keep the positions. Multiple parents described kindergarteners who stopped taking school lunch because they did not have enough time or adult help to access meals, and several speakers asked the board to pause the cuts until an alternative plan was fully vetted.

Administration representatives said the budget preserves all student programs and that some savings were realized through retirements and staff turnover. Business administrator Brian Smythe (clarifying numbers at the meeting) said the full savings package reflected roughly $400,000 from attrition and about $200,000 attributable specifically to the reduction in part‑time lunch paraprofessional positions, for a combined approximate savings of $600,000 identified during the budget process.

The proposed budget lists capital projects funded from capital reserve that include repaving parking lots at Wall High School and the board office, concrete walk reconstruction at Wall High School entrances, asbestos abatement at multiple schools and design services for a new student transportation facility. The district budgeted $1,000,000 from the capital reserve for these projects and a little over $700,000 for districtwide building maintenance.

Votes at a glance: The board voted to adopt the 2025–26 school budget, 9–0. Roll call recorded votes of Adams: Yes; Anizio: Yes; Barbier: Yes; Brereton: Yes; Buffet: Yes; DiGiovanni: Yes; Smith: Yes; Wandrack: Yes; Malouf: Yes.

Next steps identified at the meeting include posting the budget presentation and supporting documents on the district website and implementing schedule adjustments the administration said would allow the district to meet adult‑to‑student supervision ratios while capturing the stated staffing efficiencies. The administration said more details on the elementary schedule changes and supervisory coverage will be provided to families and staff before the new school year.