East Orange School District violated state regulations, New Jersey Department of Education says
EAST ORANGE, N.J. — The New Jersey Department of Education says the East Orange School District violated state regulations.
According to East Orange City Hall, 71 in-school staff members and four district employees are being laid off, and 18 employees are retiring or moving to new assignments. This is all due to a $25 million budget shortfall.
In a statement Tuesday, the DOE says the district failed to promptly notify them about the conditions behind the deficit:
"East Orange School District's reports that they are experiencing a budget shortfall and must lay off staff so early in the school year raises concern. Notably, the New Jersey Department of Education's (Department) regulations (N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-16.10(b)) provide clear direction for districts that are at risk of falling into a fiscal deficit, which includes promptly notifying the Department of the conditions that caused the deficit. Unfortunately, East Orange School district did not follow these steps, including timely notification to the Department, so the Department is now attempting to gather information from the district. Representatives from the Department met with district officials yesterday morning and will continue to seek additional information from the district to better understand their current fiscal situation."
East Orange community outraged by layoffs
The East Orange School District voted in favor of the cuts at a heated meeting on Oct. 16. According to Superintendent Dr. Christopher Irving, who started in July, the district is in debt and would not have been able to make payroll in May or June without the cuts.
"We did not do our due diligence in, quite frankly, understanding what the financial reality was as soon as we started the school year," Irving said last week.
Outraged parents and teachers are demanding transparency from the school district.
"They're doing a good job teaching kids, they should get paid," East Orange resident Phyllis Venable said Tuesday.
"Somebody mismanaged the money," East Orange resident Princina Bunion said.
"That's it. That's the whole issue," another person added.
The mayor of East Orange believes oversight is the issue and says education won't be affected.
