South Orange-Maplewood School Budget: Teacher Cuts Made, $226 Tax Hike

South Orange, NJ - The 2016-17 budget for the South Orange-Maplewood School District has some bad news for local education supporters and taxpayers alike.

On Monday, the Board of Education approved a $125 million budget that will cut 15 staff members, including 11 teachers.

“Among the staff cuts are 14 positions at Columbia High School, nine of them teachers,” Maplewoodian.com reported. “Those CHS teacher cuts include two science teachers, two math teachers, two language teachers, and one teacher each in English language arts, social studies, and physical education.”

Also on the chopping block are two librarian/media specialists, one from the middle schools and one from the high school, the Maplewoodian stated.

The budget will also mean a $226 tax hike to the average homeowner, according to school data.

The overall tax impact including debt service is 2.43 percent more than the 2015-16 tax levy, school officials stated.

• See the estimated tax levy for individual homeowners in South Orange and Maplewood here.

A preliminary budget was presented to the public during a public hearing on May 2.

• See the district’s recent budget presentations here.

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