WALL TOWNSHIP — The Wall Township Board of Education met Tuesday night, unanimously approving the adoption of a $91.15 million budget for the 2025 to 2026 school year, which includes the elimination of 30 part-time lunch paraprofessionals district-wide at the end of this school year.
The increase in the budget is 4.5% over last year, with the average impact on Wall residents amounting to an increase of around $200.05 for the year, or $16.67 a month, on the average assessed home in Wall Township of $493,600. The proposed tax rate is set to be 1.2485, an increase from last year’s 1.2080.
The total tax levy for the operating budget is $78,818,888, with the debt service tax levy at $3,024,843, an increase of 2% over the prior year, plus 2.2% waiver due to the increased cost of health benefits, Business Administrator Brian Smyth told The Coast Star. The board noted that a 13% increase was budgeted for health benefits, due to ongoing health care cost increases.
Federal aid has decreased by 89.6% for next year, dropping from $63,995 in 2024 to a projected $6,653, while state aid has increased 5.2% since 2024 and amounts to a dollar increase of $348,640.
The board budgeted $1,000,000 for capital improvements, the same as last year, for repaving at Wall High School and the board office, concrete at the high school entrances, asbestos abatement at multiple schools and design services for a new student transportation facility. Building maintenance is budgeted at a little over $700,000, which is funded from the reserve account, and will be used for preventative and emergency work as well as refinishing the intermediate school gym floor.
Total debt service obligations, based on the referendum approved in December 2022, is $4,328,335, which is funded with $1,303,492 in state debt service aid and $3,024,843 with local tax levy, according to Smyth.
A new school social worker position will be added this coming school year, to provide direct counseling, support trauma-informed classroom practices, connect families to community resources and develop intervention plans for students’ specific needs.
The budget presentation video presented at Tuesday’s meeting, narrated by Superintendent Tracy Handerhan, included a slide that read, “30 district-wide, part-time, noninstructional lunch paraprofessional positions were cut to help balance the budget.” The part-time lunch paraprofessionals supervise and aid children hands-on in the cafeteria, as well as during recess periods.
According to Smyth, the part-time paraprofessional staffing cuts saved about $200,000 in the budget. Smyth spoke to The Coast Star on Wednesday following the meeting on how the district will ensure supervision without the 30 part-time lunch paraprofessionals.
“As stated by Dr. Handerhan, full-time lunch paraprofessional positions will remain and the changes to the elementary schedules will allow for appropriate supervision with ratios consistent with or better than peer districts,” Smyth said. “To clarify, the reduction in part-time lunch paraprofessional positions will not affect the full-time instructional paraprofessionals that assist students during lunch periods as outlined in an IEP or 504 plan.”
“This year’s budget also includes new staffing to support the evolving needs of our students, increased technology services and the progression and oversight of referendum projects,” Handerhan said in the video presentation. “This budget also reflects a 31.0 FTE (full-time equivalent) decrease and a current salary savings of over $600,000. While the district values and appreciates the work of our part-time, noninstructional lunch paraprofessionals, the difficult decision was made to eliminate these 30 positions district wide in an effort to further aid in developing a balanced budget for next year.”
The total budget salary increase for the 2025 to 2026 school year is approximately 2.29%. The majority of the savings have resulted through attrition — either retirement, resignation or promotion — according to Handerhan in the budget presentation video.
The 30 part-time lunch paraprofessionals will hold their positions until the end of this school year.
To view the budget presentation video, visit wallpublicschools.org. Click on Board of Education, then Presentations.
Public comment
During the public comment session before the board voted on the budget, many residents spoke of their disapproval of the elimination of 30 district-wide lunch paraprofessionals, including current Wall Township Education Association (WTEA) members, multiple parents and paraprofessionals themselves.
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