Hawthorne school board OKs $54.1M spending plan. Here's what trustees had to cut
HAWTHORNE — The school board had to cut an alternative education program and three full-time positions under a $54.1 million spending plan approved for next year.
Schools Superintendent Richard Spirito said the budget includes funding for all extracurricular activities and clubs, but that officials were forced to absorb a $884,720 reduction in state aid by eliminating the HOPE program at Hawthorne High School.
In addition, he said, a custodian and two teachers were let go.
The necessary cuts amounted to $980,000. Contracts with some outside vendors and some opportunities for professional development were also axed.
The 18.5% reduction in state aid, which was the largest decrease in Passaic County, “really posed a challenge for us,” Spirito said in a presentation Tuesday night.
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The spending plan will be supported by a tax levy of $43.6 million. As a result, the average property owner, with a home assessed at $381,477, will see an increase of $89 to his or her tax bill.
The budget will cover the curriculum development of three new classes at the high school: Accounting, Directing & Producing and Music Technology.
It will also pay for replacing laptops for teachers at the three elementary schools, plus devices for sixth graders and high school freshmen.
The K-12 district also plans to upgrade its cloud-based Wi-Fi system by installing a total of 150 access points at the high school and Lincoln Middle School.
The HOPE program, which was instituted before the 2021 school year, provided counseling, transition planning and treatment for students and their families.
Public districts in New Jersey can operate alternative education programs for youth at risk of school failure if they meet certain criteria, such as a maximum student-to-teacher ratio of 12-to-one.
HOPE stands for Hawthorne Opportunity Provides Empowerment. Trustees budgeted $128,557 for the program this year.
Spirito said it was coordinated by a guidance counselor with a teaching certificate and that she stepped down. He said the program also had a part-time behavior analyst and two paraprofessionals, all of whom were reassigned.
A state bill — A-4161 — could allow the district to reinstate the program for next year, Spirito said.
The pending legislation, which appropriates $71.4 million, would provide one-time relief in the form of grants to eligible districts by giving up to two-thirds of the amounts they lost in state aid.
Philip DeVencentis is a local reporter for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news from your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.
Email: devencentis@northjersey.com
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Hawthorne NJ schools OK budget, cut jobs due to loss of aid
