NJ schools look to outsource support staff

More New Jersey schools are preparing to outsource jobs to save money in the face of a tight state budget and a two percent property tax cap.

The Trenton school district is examining whether to outsource about 180 bus drivers, custodians and aides. The Fair Lawn district is considering privatizing some custodial jobs.

Richard Bozza is executive director of the New Jersey Association of School Administrators. He anticipates additional outsourcing in districts around the state as they try to stay within the two percent cap.

“Typically the people on the operational end have in school districts maintained the same level of benefits as the professionals who have higher salaries,” said Bozza.  “That benefit total is a greater percentage for those lower paid employees, and so when privatization takes place there is usually a great savings there as well as salary reductions.”

Bozza says some of the money saved by privatizing those jobs could be put back into direct instruction for students.