The $299 million budget was approved Monday by the school board
TRENTON -- More than 160 employees of Trenton Public Schools are being laid off and the district's early childhood center is closing under the $299 million budget adopted Monday.
District officials said the budget cuts were necessary to plug a $5.9 million shortfall, but union leaders and parents worry that they would only disrupt services and affect the city's most vulnerable children.
"It's very painful," Interim Superintendent Lucy Feria said. "It's adults, it's children. Anytime you have to cut people, it's very painful. ... I wish I didn't have to do this, but it's part of the work that I took responsibility of."
The 164 eliminated positions -- about a tenth of the employees -- include 92 paraprofessionals, 43 teachers, 23 secretaries, four administrators and four business and technical employees.
Though the district will be adding 37 teacher and four confidential administrator positions, the layoffs represent a net reduction in staff.
Stokes Early Childhood Learning Center, a preschool for regular and special education students, will also be closed. Feria cited the struggling attendance and enrollment as reasons for the closure, but said the programs will be revisited when they once again become a part of the neighborhood schools.
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The cuts follow the elimination of 226 positions and the closing of Monument Elementary School last year.
Parents and teachers say the layoffs and school closing will be most felt by those with special needs.
There are more than 2,000 students with individualized education plans, known as I.E.P.s, which entitle them to services like speech, occupational and physical therapy. But they said that the cuts and planned privatization would bring to a halt any progress that has been made.
"Compliance in the district has always been an issue, but it gets worse every year" said Nicole Whitfield, who founded the Special Parent Advocacy Group. "The more they privatize, the worse the compliance is. And it seems like the special-needs kids are always hit when it comes to budget cuts."
One-on-one paraprofessionals were outsourced last year to a private vendor, but complaints abound that they don't show up to work, they don't help kids with disabilities get on and off the bus and they're on smoke breaks when they should be in the classroom, among other things, Whitfield said.
"That's a nightmare, so I don't feel like this is going to be any different," she said.
PTA President Mike Goodman said families with children who have special needs or disabilities face bigger hurdles than most parents when it comes to their child's education, but the cuts only add another hoop for them to jump through.
"I'm just getting to the point where I've gotten them where they need to be and getting the services that they need and they're comfortable in those services," said Jayne Gordon, a foster-adoptive mom of 10, four of whom have special needs. "If that's cut, then what happens to my kids? ... I'm out for fighting for the rights of my kids which I shouldn't have to work so hard to do."
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The unions gathered in front of the district's administration building Tuesday night ahead of the Board of School Estimates meeting, holding signs and chanting slogans criticizing the district's plans.
"We cannot say that it's OK for you to inadequately fund public schools and then expect us to cut services to our children," said Naomi Johnson-Lafleur, president of the Trenton Education Association. "We're not going to accept the injustice. We're going to continue to fight the injustice and we're going to hold those in that board accountable."
The board, which approves the local tax levy associated with the school budget, quickly adjourned due to lack of quorum, but will have to meet again before the April 8 deadline.
Mayor Eric Jackson, who sits on the board, said one layoff is too many, but they were necessary to balance the budget.
"I never want to see people laid off, I never want to see outsourcing, I never want to see partial schools or partial components of schools closed down -- I'm opposed to that," he said after the meeting. "But I understand the reality check that this group is faced with regard to dealing with this real budget gap."
He said one of the systemic problems the district faces is the continued expansion of charter schools, which add another grade level each year and drain too many resources from the local school budget.
"As long as our children are leaving, it's going to continue to create a gap because the money leaves with the children," the mayor said. "We have to figure out how to deal with that ... otherwise, every year this time, we're going to have the same issue."
Cristina Rojas may be reached at crojas@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @CristinaRojasTT. Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.