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East Windsor BOE eyes staff reductions as FY27 projections worsen
Summary
Board members reviewed FY27 projections and staff suggested eliminating a second middle‑school nurse and the high‑school 504/vocational coordinator after rising medical and special‑education outplacement costs increased projected spending.
The East Windsor Board of Education reviewed preliminary fiscal year 2027 projections and discussed staffing reductions and reserve planning to address rising costs.
Patrick Kato, who provided the board’s budget update, said district leaders recommended eliminating two positions: a second nurse at the middle school and the high‑school 504/vocational coordinator. “We did reduce two positions. One was the second nurse at the middle school,” Kato said, adding that nurse visits remain above pre‑pandemic levels. He also cited increased health‑related costs and special‑education outplacements as pressures.
Kato said the district’s latest projections included an approximately $48,000 increase tied to health‑care projections and roughly $162,000 tied to two special‑education outplacements, moves that pushed per‑pupil projections upward and prompted the staffing decisions. He said the second‑nurse position remains budgeted in principle, but staff reductions and resignations mean the district may not retain the role through the school year.
Superintendent Ryan Dallas and staff told the board they will complete a deeper set of June projections in about two weeks, and that the district is holding roughly $200,000 in its 2% reserve to cover potential outplacement costs pending decisions on individual cases. “That gives us more of a cushion,” a staff speaker said during discussion of the reserve fund.
Board members pressed staff on timing and next steps. Kato said he and finance staff will return with updated numbers and that the district will monitor open‑enrollment forms, which affect benefit elections and projections.
Why it matters: The personnel changes are presented as cost‑management steps in response to concrete, near‑term increases in health and special‑education spending. The board’s final budget decisions and any further reductions will affect staffing levels and student services for FY27.
What’s next: Staff will deliver updated projections in mid‑June and report back on final enrollment counts; board members discussed outreach options for informing the public about the budget, with staff cautioning that elected members must follow legal limits when speaking as board members.
