Hackensack unveils ‘reimagining’ plan amid declining enrollment and budget shortfall

The Hackensack Board of Education on June 16 heard a multi-part "reimagining" presentation from the acting superintendent and central-office staff outlining how the district plans to operate in 2026–27 amid a sizable budget shortfall and falling enrollment.

Acting Superintendent Andrea Oates Parchment introduced a team-led effort that will share phased plans with families and staff. A central-office presenter summarized long-term enrollment trends: the district has declined from roughly 5,795 students in 2018–19 to about 5,046 enrolled as of June 11, 2026, with a projection of 4,926 for the next school year. Presenters said that decline represents an approximate 15% drop since 2018–19 and is a primary driver of staffing and program adjustments.

District administrators said the student-to-teacher ratio has declined in recent years (reported averages falling to 11.4:1 during the current year) but will move toward a projected 12.8:1 for 2026–27 under the approved staffing plan. Administrator assignments for 2026–27 were listed, including shared assistant-principal roles at some elementary schools and acting appointments where vacancies exist; the Jackson Avenue principal is expected to remain in an acting role for July with a recommendation to the board in July.

Programmatic shifts discussed include reductions in full-time elementary bilingual program enrollment that will require mixed-grade classes (e.g., combined grades 1–2, 3–4) in some schools and continuation of ESL instruction (40 minutes daily at elementary level; core class at MS/HS). The high school will offer a full-time bilingual ELA program described by presenters as meeting the state’s “gold standard” of bilingual programming. Presenters said multilingual enrollment overall has grown, but full-time bilingual classroom sections decreased due to staffing limits.

The administration also outlined curriculum work for the summer (K–12 science rewrite to reflect new standards, a K–4 handwriting mandate and a literacy pilot funded by a $200,000 state impact grant) and said Vista Higher Learning remains a primary instructional resource under review.

To keep families informed, the district plans to distribute a one-page handout by June 30 with school-specific details (principal/assistant principal assignments, teacher counts, enrollment numbers and program information) and to hold building-level parent meetings in July and August (Jackson July 21, Fairmount July 22, high school July 23, Parker July 27, with other dates to be set). Officials said they will follow up with more targeted building-level information and will publish details on a reimagining web page.

Speakers repeatedly emphasized protecting special education services and compliance with IEPs; the district said class sizes and caseloads remain compliant with state code and that no IEP minutes are being reduced as a result of these staffing adjustments.

Board members asked for materials in Spanish and for clear, frequent email updates; the administration said materials will be available in Spanish and online. The reimagining team lead, Laura Morgan, urged an “asset lens” that highlights programs the district retains alongside unavoidable reductions.