Our kids deserve a plan.
This year West Orange schools absorbed another multi-million dollar round of cuts, and without state action, every year threatens deeper reductions. Class sizes have grown, staffing has shrunk, and educational quality is suffering. Our kids deserve a plan — and West Orange parents are building one.
Take Action
What you can do right now
The NJDOE is gathering input from residents across the state to inform the school funding reform process. The survey takes about 5 minutes and we've written a guide to help you answer the questions that most impact West Orange.
Learn MoreAdopted May 4, 2026
FY27 Budget: What Was Adopted
$13.5M deficit closed through cuts and a 2.5% levy increase — but the formula problem remains.
Context
What's at Stake
A Growing Structural Deficit
FY27's $13.5M deficit was closed through cuts and a 2.5% levy increase. The underlying formula problem is unchanged — costs continue to rise ~8% per year while revenue is capped at 2%. FY28 starts from the same structural mismatch unless state policy changes.
We Already Pay More Than "Fair" — And It's Still Not Enough
The formula pegs West Orange's Local Fair Share at $142.4M toward a $162.0M adequacy budget. We already levy $163.4M — about $20M above what the state expects us to contribute — yet the budget still exceeds the expected local levy by $19.9M. Real costs outrun both the formula and the 2% cap.
Staff Cuts Compounding
Approximately 77 non-renewals were adopted for FY27, alongside two additional central office cuts and paraprofessional outsourcing. That's on top of major reductions in prior years, bringing district-level administrator cuts to six over two years.
57 positions last year · 77 this year
Every Student Is Affected
Over 7,000 students across 13 schools now face larger class sizes (elementary 25, middle/high 30), reduced extracurricular access, and fewer supports.
Background
How We Got Here
A Formula That Doesn't Add Up
The state uses a formula to decide how much each town should pay for its own schools. For West Orange, that number keeps going up — ~8% every year. But there's a state law that says we can only raise taxes by 2% a year. So the state expects us to pay more, but won't let us raise the money. Every year, the gap gets bigger.
State Aid Is Unpredictable
Equalization aid can swing by millions year to year, with little warning. We lost $7.1M in FY26, recovered $3.0M in FY27, and remain $4.8M below where we were two years ago. One good year doesn't fix a broken formula — or let the district plan around it.
Costs Keep Rising
Health insurance, special education, and transportation costs go up every year in excess of revenue we can sustainably raise. The district can't control most of these costs, and the state isn't covering the difference.
Few Options Left
The district used up its savings and its extra taxing room from prior years. In the near-term, there are almost no tools left to close the budget gap without cutting more staff and programs.
Priorities
Our Goals
Update the State Formula
The state funding formula is the root cause of our budget problems. We're pushing state legislators and the Governor to update it so towns like West Orange aren't punished for looking "wealthy" on paper when most families are middle-class.
Do What We Can Locally
While we fight for state-level change, we're working with the Board of Education to use every tool available locally — smarter budgeting, cost comparisons with similar districts, and full transparency about how decisions are made.
Build a Community Fund
We're planning a nonprofit so our community can raise money to directly support our schools — to try to offset some resources that budget cuts are threatening to take away.
Join Us
Stay informed and help protect our schools.
Take Action
Contact your elected officials and tell them to change the formula.