Wayne Board Of Education Approves Budget, Full-Day Kindergarten

WAYNE, NJ — The Board of Education approved the 2021-2022 budget at a recent meeting, clearing the way for full-day kindergarten to start in Wayne.

Full-day kindergarten has been a long-time coming in Wayne, and the gears will begin turning soon on a three-year implementation plan. Students will attend full-day kindergarten beginning this September.

Before that happens, the district will need to hire teachers, with 15 full-time positions budgeted, including salaries and benefits.

Classroom instructional aides will also be needed, with another 15 positions budgeted.

Other needs include:

• Lunch monitors
• Classroom furniture
• Instructional material and supplies
• Professional development

In total, the district set a total estimated budget for these needs at $1,742,728.

This comes as part of a total budget of $173,991,878 for 2021-2022. That's an increase of over $5 million from the previous year, or 3 percent.

The tax levy is also set to increase by 2.68 percent, according to a budget presentation, or an increase of $124 on average per home.

To view the full budget presentation, click here.

Keep up to date with what's happening in your community by subscribing to your local Patch newsletter here.