Lakewood moves to lay off 162 teacher's aides and may outsource

• The debt-ridden Board of Education is taking the first steps toward laying off 162 teachers’ aides, known as para-professionals, according to union leaders and sources in the district.
• The move comes as the state is seeking to take control of the troubled district, which still owes more than $143 million to the state and has asked for another $138 million loan

LAKEWOOD – The debt-ridden Board of Education is taking the first steps toward laying off 162 teachers’ aides, known as para-professionals, according to union leaders.

The move comes as the state is seeking to take control of the troubled district, which still owes more than $143 million to the state and has asked for another $138 million loan.

The Lakewood Education Association (LEA), which represents teachers and paraprofessionals, said the potential layoffs would make way for the district to contract out the para-professional positions, which serve teachers as aides, mostly for special education students.

“Lakewood School District paraprofessionals were informed that the district plans to issue Reduction in Force (RIF) notices to all 162 district paraprofessionals on Friday, April 24, as part of its annual staffing review,” The LEA said via email.

The Little Egg Harbor School District announced last month that it was considering layoffs of 81 full-time paraprofessionals from local elementary schools and refilling their positions with part-time workers who would not receive benefits.

In a letter dated March 11 , that district notified full-time paraprofessionals and full-time preschool aids that their last day of employment would be June 30, and their positions would be eliminated, according to a copy of the letter posted to Facebook group called "Little Egg Harbor - Save Our Kids, Save Our Paras."

State law requires districts to issue RIF notices to unionized employees who are being considered for layoffs. The notice does not mean a layoff will occur but sets into motion certain rights and guarantees for eventual severance and other factors if jobs are cut, union officials said.

Superintendent Laura Winters did not respond to requests for comment Thursday, while Board Attorney Joshua Forsman neither confirmed nor denied the move.

“The district is in the process of evaluating various options to ensure the effective and efficient delivery of services to students,” he said via email. “No final action has been taken at this time. To the extent any proposals are formally presented, they will be discussed in accordance with applicable law at the public meeting.”

He later added, “Because these matters may involve personnel and/or contractual considerations, I’m limited in what I can share in advance regarding specifics such as staffing impact or potential cost savings. Any information appropriate for public release will be addressed through the Board process.”

The school board has called a special virtual meeting forApril 24, but there is no indication what will occur there. No agenda had been posted as of Thursday afternoon.

Forsman said only that the meeting will address “a necessary amendment to the budget proposal.”

Union leaders say no go on layoffs

Kimberlee Shaw, LEA president, criticized the potential layoff and RIF distribution.

“The 162 paraprofessionals who work with our students are a vital part of our school community,” she said via email. “LEA will be doing everything in our power to fight these RIFs, and any privatization attempts of our staff. Our staff is not the problem with this budget.”

She then blamed the state-mandated costs for non-public school students in Lakewood, which surpasses 50,000, compared to about 4,500 in the public schools.

“Unlike other school districts—where salaries and benefits comprise most of an annual budget’s expenses—our costs are overwhelmingly driven by non-public transportation and out-of-district education placements,” she said. “LEA looks forward to negotiating with the board as our students deserve to have dedicated, caring and well-compensated staff to work with them every day.”

New Jersey Education Association President Steve Beatty also slammed the district’s potential move.

“Paraprofessionals are critical members of the whole school team that works together to ensure student learning. They work with students who have learning difficulties, who experience challenging medical conditions or who just need extra support to succeed,” Beatty said in a statement.

She added that to reduce their hours or to perform the work without health insurance benefits is "disrespectful and disregards the value they bring to our public schools.”

Why job cuts now?

The potential job cutback comes as the district considers a $327 million budget for the 2026-2027 school year. That plan also calls for the new $138 million loan request, according to a budget resolution approved earlier this month.

A final vote on the budget is set for April 29.

The new budget would be a $24 million increase over the current year’s $303 million spending plan, which includes the earlier $100 million loan request that has yet to be granted.

The proposed spending plan as Lakewood Schools are seeking to get out from under a $143 million state loan debt and years of financial issues.

In addition, the state Department of Education announced in January plans to take over control of the district, citing ongoing management and academic issues.

The district has filed a lengthy response objecting to the takeover bid and claiming its problems are due in part to state aid, which it claims is not sufficient.

The issue is set to go before an administrative law judge who will offer a recommendation to the education commissioner, who will have the final decision.

No date for that hearing has been set.

Lakewood would become the fifth public school district in state history to come under a state takeover if the action proceeds.

The state Department of Education said in its January announcement that the takeover was needed to counter “years of documented failures,” calling it “a significant and necessary action to address persistent deficiencies that have denied Lakewood students the thorough and efficient education guaranteed by the New Jersey Constitution.”

Joe Strupp is an award-winning journalist with 35 years’ experience who covers Lakewood, Jackson, and several local communities for APP.com and the Asbury Park Press. He is also the author of four books, including Killing Journalism on the state of the news media, and an adjunct media professor at Rutgers University and Fairleigh Dickinson University. Reach him at [email protected] and at 732-413-3840. Follow him on Twitter and TruthSocial at @joestrupp