The Paterson school district (NJ) may be running one of the biggest scams known to man right in front of our face. Students are eating like prisoners, staff is underpaid and the school conditions are rapidly declining so where is the money going? For three consecutive years the school district raised taxes (2021-2022 school year taxes were raised by 12%). In addition to draining residents pockets with unreasonable taxes a $618 Million budget was approved. I think a PDF of the itemized budget would be great for tax payers to see.
Budget Breakdown:
- 3 million by not including money in the budget for vacant positions. The district still would have about $7 million budgeted for other vacancies that it would try to fill, officials said.
- $1.7 million by budgeting lower salaries for people hired to replace retirees.
- $1.7 million by restructuring high school principal assignments. As a result, the number of principals at the Kennedy high school complex would drop from five to two and at the Eastside campus from four to two.
- $850,000 from the budget for lawsuit settlements. Officials attributed that project to fewer pending case and a revision of the deductible amount used to determine when the district’s insurance carrier would pick up the cost.
- $300,000 by no longer paying for bus tickets for students who live between 1.5 miles and 2.5 miles from the schools. Parents of those students would be able to buy the bus tickets at the same discount rates currently paid by the district, officials said.
- $526,600 by shifting special education students assigned to outside programs back within the district.
- $150,000 by discontinuing home instruction for students placed on out-of-school suspension. Those students would be shifted to a new in-school suspension program, officials said.
- $116,664 by cutting from six to three the number of off-duty Paterson police officers used to provide school security. Instead the district would hire retired officers who may not need health benefits and be paid at lower pay rates, officials said.
Fact Check:
The 41st Amendment 
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