$3.2M State Aid Loss Is 'Devastating' To Lacey Schools: Officials

LACEY, NJ — The Lacey Township School District was planning on losing $1.2 million in state aid for the upcoming school year. They learned yesterday that the cuts were actually $3.2 million.

Read more: Lacey Faces Massive Cuts Again In 2025 School State Aid

The dollar amount is one of the largest cuts out of all the districts in the state, according to the numbers. And the "devastating" loss will be felt throughout the district, according to Superintendent Vanessa Pereira.

"The impact of this state aid reduction cannot be understated," Pereira wrote in a letter home to families on Feb. 29.

The district, prior to Thursday's news, had already made cuts amounting to $7 million in the upcoming budget. These cuts will balloon class sizes to the upper 30s, reduce administration and support staff, cut co-curriculars and more, Pereira said.

"We are still in the process of analyzing every single detail in order to make very difficult decisions on how to present a balanced budget while exploring all avenues for emergent relief," she wrote.

Pereira continues to urge residents to advocate for the students by writing to legislators. Read more: 'Unsurvivable': Lacey Schools Prepare To Lose More State Aid

The district will officially introduce the budget at the March 20 Board of Education meeting, and a public hearing on the budget is set for an April 30 special meeting.

"We will continue to keep you updated as we continue to work on finalizing the budget," Pereira said. "More importantly, we will continue to seek relief from these devastating reductions and seek to restore the state aid that has been lost."

You can read her letter here.