Garfield’s 2025–26 school budget is $124.8 million, up more than $7 million from last year. But rising costs in transportation, benefits, and mandated expenses are swallowing that growth, while classrooms are left competing for what’s left. With state limits on tax and aid increases, deficits of $1–3 million a year are on the horizon if we don’t act.

The answer isn’t program cuts or staff layoffs. Our teachers, staff, and students are the backbone of this district. The problem is structural, costs rising faster than revenues, and it requires smarter management, not bigger burdens on families.

My plan:

1. Freeze Central Office Growth – Stop unnecessary administrative expansion and redirect savings to classrooms and student programs.

2. Smarter Transportation – Audit bus routes, explore tiered schedules, and share services to cut costs without sacrificing safety.

3. Transparency & Accountability – Publish quarterly, easy-to-read financial reports so families see exactly where dollars go.

4. In-District Special Education – Build programs in Garfield to keep students local, save tuition costs, and create more teaching jobs.

5. Classroom First Rule – Protect teacher contracts and student programs from being used to plug deficits. Efficiencies must come from smarter purchasing and long-term planning, never at the expense of classrooms.

Garfield’s 2025–26 school budget totals $137.3 million, with $124.8 million in the operating fund alone. These are big numbers, but too much money gets tied up in administration, contracts, and overhead instead of flowing directly to classrooms. Line items like central services, IT, and operations swing by hundreds of thousands of dollars year to year, while teachers are still waiting on basic supplies. Parents deserve to know their tax dollars are being stretched as far as possible, not wasted on inefficiencies.

The challenge isn’t our educators or students, they are the heart of this system. The challenge is how we spend. When administrative costs balloon or services are purchased at premium prices without collaboration, families, teachers, and kids in the classroom feel it first. Streamlining spending means making the most of the dollars we already have. By partnering with unions, parents, and the community, Garfield can cut waste, keep dollars local, and ensure every cent strengthens our schools rather than slipping through the cracks.

My plan:

1. Joint Purchasing Agreements – Partner with nearby districts and the city to buy supplies, insurance, food service, and technology in bulk, cutting costs without cutting quality.

2. Facility Sharing – Coordinate with city government and community organizations to share facilities, reducing duplicate spending and expanding family access to safe spaces.

3. Union Cost-Saving Committee – Establish a joint committee with union leaders and staff to review benefits, overtime, and other cost drivers, ensuring solutions protect jobs and contracts.

4. Community Vendor Preference – Prioritize local vendors in competitive bidding to keep tax dollars in Garfield and build community wealth while maintaining transparency.

Garfield’s students are stepping into a world where technology is the language of college, careers, and civic life. Yet too often, classrooms don’t fully use the tools already at hand, or they use them unevenly. Promethean panels sit underutilized, assignments aren’t always posted consistently in Teams, and guidance on AI or healthy screen habits hasn’t kept pace. The result is frustration for teachers, uneven experiences for students, and missed opportunities for families who expect modern, consistent practices.

The issue isn’t our teachers or students, they’re adapting with what they’re given. The problem is the lack of clear policies, training, and support to turn tools into true learning resources. By setting guardrails for AI, building healthy screen-time habits for early learners, and expanding access to computer science, Garfield can modernize instruction without adding chaos or burden. The goal is simple: make technology work for students and staff, not the other way around.

My plan:

1. AI With Guardrails – Adopt a model AI policy requiring student disclosure of AI-assisted work, banning inappropriate uses, and providing teachers with templates, professional development, and an approved list of tools.

2. Healthy Screen Use in K–3 – Publish clear device-on/off norms, a skill-based app whitelist, and literacy-first guidelines for young learners, with a parent guide translated for all families.

3. Computer Science for All – Map K–8 integration, refresh high school pathways in AP CS, robotics, and media, and host an annual student tech expo to showcase innovation and learning.

Every student in Garfield deserves more than a diploma, they deserve a clear path forward. For some, that means college; for others, it’s the trades, the military, or entering the workforce directly. Too often, students and families are left navigating these choices alone, without consistent counseling support or affordable pathways. With counselor caseloads stretched, uneven access to college credits, and limited connections to apprenticeships, futures can feel uncertain instead of supported.

The problem isn’t ambition; Garfield’s students have plenty of it. The challenge is support. By strengthening counseling, expanding dual-enrollment opportunities, building bridges to unions and apprenticeships, and recognizing every path equally, Garfield can ensure every graduate leaves high school with both options and confidence.

My plan:

1. Keep Counselors Accessible – Cap caseloads at no more than 250 students per counselor at Garfield High School and publish ratios annually so families know their kids aren’t lost in the shuffle.

2. Elevate Trades & Apprenticeships – Partner with unions like IBEW and ABC NJ to guarantee interview slots and create pipelines into local apprenticeships. Integrate pre-apprenticeship coursework (OSHA-10, carpentry, electrical) into elective tracks.

3. Recognize Every Path Equally – Host an annual Career Signing Day to celebrate apprenticeships, enlistments, and college acceptances side by side. Cover credential exam costs (CompTIA, ServSafe, CPR, OSHA-10) for low-income students so finances never block opportunity.

Garfield students can’t thrive in classrooms if their basic needs, mental health, and learning gaps go unaddressed. The 2025–26 budget directs more dollars into instruction, special services, and health than ever before, but without a clear plan, those investments risk being spread too thin. Students still face long waits for counseling, families struggle to navigate school systems, and learning loss continues to widen the gap for kids who need help most.

The problem isn’t our staff, they work tirelessly. The problem is the lack of structured supports that connect school, family, and community. By expanding student support through stronger counseling, academic lift, and family partnerships, we can make sure no child falls through the cracks.

My plan:

1. Student Voice & Mentorship – Establish student advisory committees at the middle and high school levels and launch a community mentor network that pairs students with vetted local professionals for guidance and support.

2. Family & Community Partnership – Create Family Resource Centers in school buildings and host Parent Academies in English and Spanish on homework strategies, FAFSA, scholarships, and mental health awareness.

3. Academic Support & Enrichment – Provide high-impact tutoring in reading and math beginning in K–3, expand after-school and summer STEM/arts academies, and add bilingual instructional aides to strengthen ESL support.