Nutley schools face tax hike, cuts to sports and special education resources

Cuts to athletics and extra-curriculars are just part of a proposal the Nutley Board of Education shared Monday, looking ahead to the 2025-2026 school year.

The board proposed over $5 million in cuts during the budget hearing. They hope to reach that figure by not replacing retired or resigned positions, restructuring services like the paraprofessional program and cutting special education resources. In addition to cuts, there will also be tax increases.

It was not immediately clear which sports or extracurriculars would be cut.

People spoke up about their concerns at the hearing.

"Cutting coaches means the possibility of cutting multiple lower-level sports or individual programs altogether. This means taking away opportunities for our student athletes. Opportunities for growth, for belonging, for mentorship and for joy," said one coach.

The Nutley High School athletic director spoke at the meeting. He said, "You guys said that you were going to not support cutting of extracurricular activities and athletics and the other programs that were up on that slide. However, they were still on the slide, so somebody's not telling the truth."

At the meeting, a member of the board of education acknowledged that the decision that have to be made "will not be popular.”

“…We acknowledge they will cause concern and anxiety amongst some members in our community. However, these are necessary steps to ensure long-term stability and success of our school district," he said.

One mother of children in the district called the proposals “disappointing.”

“We pay a lot of taxes to live here. We take a lot of pride in this town and watching them cut things one by one is very frustrating," she said.

The next board of education meeting is May 19.