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Camden Schools Confront $91 Million Deficit, Plan July Staff Cuts
Staff reductions and school restructuring are set to begin in July as the city addresses a long-running shortfall tied to enrolment changes.
How we reported this
Camden schools will cut 117 positions starting in July to close a 91 million budget deficit, with teachers, counsellors, custodians and security staff among those affected.
The reductions come after more than a decade of enrolment decline in the city’s traditional schools. Numbers have fallen from nearly 12,000 students to just under 6,000, while alternative and charter options now serve nearly 10,000 local children. The shift has reduced funding tied directly to pupil counts and left the system reliant on one-time resources that have now ended.
How the shortfall developed
City education leaders have used temporary federal support, including pandemic-era funding, to cover ongoing shortfalls in recent years. With those resources exhausted, officials say the only remaining options are permanent cuts to staffing and changes to school organisation. One high school will move from four principals to a single leader, and the city’s sole middle school will redirect pupils to neighbourhood sites.
Union representatives have said the changes will limit mental health support and other services for remaining pupils. Parents have described the impact on families who rely on local staff living in the area.
What happens next
The cuts take effect from the start of July. Families with children still in the affected schools can expect fewer administrators and support staff at the start of the new term. Officials have said the measures are intended to bring spending in line with current enrolment and avoid further use of reserves.
Further details on specific roles and school arrangements will be shared with staff and parents in the coming weeks, according to the district’s public statements reported by Fox 29.