LITTLE EGG HARBOR – The Little Egg Harbor Board of Education voted during a recent meeting to eliminate all full-time paraprofessional and full-time preschool teacher assistant positions, a move district officials said was driven by rising costs.
Board President Chris Filiciello said similar staffing changes have already occurred in many districts across the state. “We are actually one of the last school districts in the state to restructure like this,” he said.
Board member Dennis O’Keefe acknowledged the difficulty of the vote. “This is one of the hardest votes I’ve had to consider since joining the board,” he said.
District officials pointed to rising health insurance costs as a major factor behind the decision. The district is facing a 32.7% increase in premiums, adding nearly $2.4 million to annual expenses.
O’Keefe said, “A projected 32.7% increase in health benefit costs and salaries would place substantial additional burden on taxpayers at a time when the levy has already risen dramatically.”
The district’s total healthcare costs are expected to exceed $9.6 million in the upcoming budget year. Filiciello said the board believed action was necessary to protect classroom resources.
“The time has come to no longer balance our budgets on the backs of our students’ futures,” Filiciello said.
The resolution passed in a 4-2 vote, with Tiffany Middlecoop and Dr. Christine Snyder voting against the measure.
Both members raised concerns about how the proposal was brought forward and the level of public awareness ahead of the vote. Dr. Snyder said she was only informed about the measure shortly before the meeting. “I was a ‘no’ before I walked in this room, and I was a ‘no’ when it was first proposed to me that it was going to be on this agenda,” she said.
Middlecoop also expressed concerns about the process and the potential lack of notice to the public. “I wish it was a little bit more transparent. I wish that it was done a different way,” she said.
Some residents and staff members also questioned whether the community had adequate notice that the positions were being discussed.
Teachers who spoke during the meeting emphasized the role paraprofessionals and assistants play in the classroom. Elizabeth Basque said the support staff are central to daily instruction. “These people are our classroom,” Basque said.
Educators also raised concerns about the timing of the decision. Basque said the district was making major staffing decisions before final state aid figures had been released.
Other educators highlighted the importance of paraprofessionals in supporting students, particularly in special education programs. Teacher Karen Strang said, “I rely heavily on my paras, and I’ve had some amazing men and women over the years, and to just pull the rug out from under them is totally unfair.”
Filiciello said the board understood the impact but emphasized the financial pressures facing the district.
“This decision is trying to put the students first and give them as many resources as possible,” Filiciello said.
He added that the district intends to support employees affected by the change as the process moves forward. “It’s our goal that this is handled in the most professional, graceful way possible to help support all of the people that are affected by this,” Filiciello said.
