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Wayne school leaders outline $8M shortfall, RIFs and plan to outsource aftercare to contain costs
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Mark Tobec and the district's business consultant told the board that New Jersey's 2% tax levy cap has created a multi-year funding gap; administrators announced 108 staffing reductions and said a vendor, Right At School, won the RFP for before/aftercare at a proposed $298/month 5-day rate.
Board members and district leaders on May 1 told the Wayne Township Public School District they face an $8 million deficit driven by fixed-cost increases that exceed the state's 2% tax levy cap.
Superintendent Dr. Mark Tobec told attendees the cap, in place since 2011, constrains how much the district can raise locally while salaries, benefits and other fixed contracts are growing much faster. "If your increases can go up by 2% but all your expenses are up 4% or more every year, you end up with a pretty big gap," Tobec said.
The district announced reductions in force affecting 108 positions across the system. Tobec and his staff said that number includes roughly 60 cafeteria and playground aides, four custodians, a handful of secretaries and support staff, and 14 teachers or counselors. "None of the staff members that were let go were tenure teachers," Tobec said, adding that the cuts were intended to "protect our core operation, which is teaching and learning." The administration said about $4.5 million of the budget gap arises from staffing reductions.
Dan Gallagher, the district's business consultant and acting board secretary for the meeting, reviewed reserve accounts and long-term pressures: total reserves of roughly $9.4 million across accounts, a $1.5 million capital reserve and about $3.4 million in maintenance reserve, and an operating budget near $197 million with roughly $152 million devoted to salaries and benefits. "Your budget, you have no flexibility whatsoever," Gallagher said, summarizing why hard choices were necessary.
Officials presented options for the district's before- and aftercare program after staff and parents objected to a proposed internal rate increase. The district's current 5-day aftercare rate is $190 per month; administrators estimated that fully staffing an in-house program would cost about $361 per month. The vendor that won the RFP, Right At School, proposed a $298 monthly rate for a five-day program and said it plans to recruit current caregivers and host a parent information session on May 19.
Parents raised vendor safety and oversight concerns during public comment, citing news reports about incidents involving the company in other jurisdictions. One parent said she found reporting that a staff member was arrested in another district; another speaker referred to an allegation in California. The board urged the public to report any local incidents directly to the administration and said it had contractual requirements for background checks and staff vetting.
Board members repeated that state policy limits options and asked the community to contact state legislators about the funding formula. Several members said a successful referendum earlier would have provided significant state matching aid for capital projects and eased near-term pressure.
The board adopted routine agenda revisions and advanced a resolution to name New Jersey Orthopedic Group school physicians for 2025-26; separate votes recorded at the meeting were reflected in the minutes.
The district said it will publish further budget materials and bring follow-up budget presentations at upcoming meetings; administrators said they will continue to seek ways to restore positions if resignations, retirements or other changes free funding over the summer.
