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Hackensack board previews 'reimagining' plan: enrollment decline, staffing shifts and changes to bilingual programming
Summary
The acting superintendent and a 14-member reimagining team outlined plans for 2026'27 addressing falling enrollment (from 5,795 in 2018'19 to 5,046 currently), staffing adjustments amid a budget deficit, combined elementary bilingual grades, expanded high-school bilingual ELA, and a set of parent meetings this summer.
Acting superintendent Andrea Oates Parchment and a district 'reimagining' team presented a phased plan on June 16 to manage enrollment decline, staffing, and program adjustments for the 2026'27 school year.
The presentation described a multi-year enrollment drop from about 5,795 students in 2018'19 to 5,046 currently, with projections around 4,926 for next year. Officials said those shifts drive staffing and program decisions: student'to'teacher ratios have hovered near 11'13 students per teacher in recent years, but the budget deficit and reductions in force will affect how roles are deployed next year.
On multilingual programming, Marcela Moncloa and the reimagining presenters said the district will continue to place and identify multilingual learners and will preserve core ESL supports, but full-time bilingual elementary programming will be reduced in some schools. "Our bilingual program will continue as single grade in kindergarten and 1 and 2 and will be combined in grades 3 and 4 as enrollment warrants," Moncloa said, adding the high school will offer bilingual ELA for the first time in many years.
Administrators said the changes are driven by enrollment realities and the fiscal shortfall that required staff reductions, not by a reduction in commitment to multilingual learners. The district plans a one-page handout for parents by June 30 and a slate of building-level parent meetings in July (Jackson July 21; Fairmount July 22; high school July 23; Parker July 27) to provide school-specific details including principal and assistant-principal assignments, teacher counts, and programming.
The presentation stressed restoring programs when finances allow, but several public commenters objected to combining grades in bilingual classrooms, arguing it disproportionately affects multilingual learners. Trustee and administration responses committed to more communication and to providing building-level details to families.
Officials also outlined central-office and school-level administrative assignments for 2026'27 and said they will continue to refine staffing and schedules over the summer through outreach and published materials.
