Camden superintendent outlines progress, rightsizing and a $91 million budget gap closed in turnaround update

Camden City School District Superintendent Katrina T. McCombs presented a comprehensive update to the State Board of Education on district performance, finances and programmatic strategies as she prepares to leave the district and join the Department of Education.

McCombs said the district’s April 2024 CUSAC (Comprehensive Unified School Accountability Classification) review showed strong performance and operations (92%), governance (87%) and personnel (87%), but that scores in fiscal management and instruction triggered a District Improvement Plan. ‘‘The scores in instruction and program and fiscal management fell below the 80 threshold and triggered the development of a district improvement plan,’’ she said.

She described a multi-year effort to reduce audit findings and strengthen internal controls, and reported that audit findings fell from a peak of 27 to three in fiscal years 2023 and 2024. McCombs said a mix of actions — restructuring campus leadership, reducing contracted services and vacant positions, reallocating Title funding and other steps — ‘‘led to us being able to close our $91,000,000 deficit and move forward, in a right-size manner.’’

McCombs detailed enrollment and budget pressures tied to rising charter and Renaissance tuition costs, which grew from about $157 million in 2020–21 to a projected $221 million for 2024–25. She said roughly 41.8% of Camden students now attend Renaissance schools, district-operated schools account for 36.5% and charters 21.8%, a shift she said creates structural imbalance for district-run schools.

To stabilize services, the district’s rightsizing plan reduces projected staffing from 1,618.5 FTEs to 1,331.5 FTEs (a reduction of 287 FTEs), including reductions in central office, school-based positions, and part-time roles; 34 staff members were placed into other roles and some vacancies were not filled. McCombs emphasized that the process aimed to ‘‘protect classrooms’’ while acknowledging the human impact of cuts.

On transportation, McCombs said the district rebuilt capacity after pandemic disruptions, added district-owned buses and diversified vendors to cover 135+ daily routes, expanded shuttle services and achieved an $1.8 million net reduction in transportation costs by shifting away from high-cost county contracts.

McCombs also updated the board on capital and career pathways: the East Side High School project is in schematic and bridging design with the Schools Development Authority and architect DIG, with the new building scheduled to open in September 2029. The district negotiated a $7.7 million agreement for swing-space upgrades. She highlighted CTE and dual-credit partnerships (Stockton, Rowan, Camden County College) and said Perkins funding was increased from $87,000 to $206,000 for 2024–25 to expand program approvals.

Board members asked for comparative data on district, charter and Renaissance outcomes and for more detail on instruction and programming gaps. Board member Aponte said he would like to ‘‘see the full picture of what's happening across the city’’; McCombs agreed to provide additional analysis and follow-up materials.

McCombs noted programs aimed at accelerating recovery — including high-dosage tutoring, attendance interventions, the STAR Innovator Academy for over-age and under-credited students (expanding from 20 to 40 students), and a Teach Camden para-to-teacher pilot with Rowan University — as part of a student-centered strategy as the district addresses fiscal and enrollment realities.

The presentation concluded with board appreciation for Camden’s progress and a commitment from the superintendent to return with requested data and further analysis.