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Little Egg Harbor board approves abolishing 81 paraprofessional and preschool assistant positions
Summary
On March 10 the Little Egg Harbor Township Board of Education approved a resolution to abolish 81 full-time paraprofessional and preschool teacher assistant positions, a measure officials said is needed to address a projected 32.7% jump in health-care costs; the decision followed hours of debate and public comment and will be followed by staff outreach tomorrow.
The Little Egg Harbor Township Board of Education voted March 10 to abolish 81 full-time paraprofessional and full-time preschool teacher assistant positions, a move board members said they reluctantly approved to address sharply rising health-care costs.
Board discussion and public comment focused on balancing budget pressures against the effects on staff and students. A staff member advising the board said the district faces a projected 32.7% increase in health-benefit costs, which the adviser described as an increase that brings the district’s total health-care bill to $9,664,339.
“This is one of the hardest votes I’ve had to consider since joining the board,” a committee member said, asking members to weigh support for employees alongside fiscal responsibility. “These are not line items in a spreadsheet,” the same member added, stressing the human impact on staff and students.
Several staff and parents urged the board to delay action until final state aid figures were released. “We’re making this decision before the numbers even come out,” said Elizabeth Bassey, a district staff member who identified herself during public comment, and urged the board to seek more information before dismantling positions held by long-serving employees.
A longtime teacher suggested alternatives to outright layoffs, including repurposing some paraprofessionals as bus aides to preserve benefits while filling new operational roles. “Maybe their day is a little bit longer, and we don’t hire a bus aid,” teacher Cameron Strang said, urging the board to consider internal redeployment.
Board supporters of the measure said the district must act now to protect core classroom services and that some savings will be realized in the next fiscal year. The board indicated affected employees would receive information the morning after the vote; district leadership said it would hold follow-up meetings about healthcare, pensions and retirements.
The resolution, as read into the record, authorized the superintendent, business administrator and board attorney to take actions necessary to implement the abolishments. The board carried the motion in a roll-call vote after public comment and additional board statements. Board leaders said the savings would be reinvested into classroom priorities and emphasized outreach to affected employees.
The board also set a special meeting for March 24 at 6 p.m. to adopt the 2026–27 budget and said further budget details would be discussed then. District officials told employees and the public they would provide written information and assistance beginning the day after the vote.
The board adjourned at 9:17 p.m.
