The West Orange (N.J.) Public Schools has announced plans to eliminate all of the district's popular middle school sports programs as part of a controversial 2026-27 budget aimed at addressing a $13.5 million deficit.
As reported by Murjani Rawls of nj.com, the cuts also call for the elimination of 77 full- and part-time staff positions, larger class sizes and the outsourcing of paraprofessional services to a private vendor, among other measures.
“We understand the value that athletics and extracurricular opportunities bring to students at every level,” a West Orange school district spokesperson said in a statement sent to nj.com. “Our focus in this process has been to prioritize core classroom instruction, maintain reasonable class sizes and protect the overall educational experience for students while addressing a substantial budget shortfall.”
"West Orange administrators cited increased costs for health benefits, special education tuition and transportation, among other factors, as prompting the need for cuts," Rawls reported. "Superintendent Hayden Moore published a letter to the West Orange community on April 29 addressing the measures, stating the district could not “continue to address the budget shortfalls using the typical band-aid process.”
“Our high school sports program will see some reductions,” Moore wrote. “However, we are no longer able to afford our middle school sports and intramural program. I am formulating a partnership with our middle school parent boosters and Township Recreation Department to help in this area and offer some athletic opportunities at this level.”
Freshman high school sports programs will still be offered, the district said. But specific cuts to high school sports programs have not been finalized.
“Because those conversations are ongoing, we are not in a position to speak to specific logistics, structures, scheduling, or potential costs at this time,” the West Orange spokesperson stated. “The consideration to eliminate middle school athletics as part of the proposed budget reductions was not made lightly.”
The district said it will be donating uniforms to the recreation department.
The West Orange spokesperson said middle school sports could return if the financial picture improves, stating, “Should circumstances change, including changes in funding, the district would certainly evaluate opportunities that best serve our students and community.”
