04/18/2026
🚨 Urgent: Support West Orange Paraprofessionals 🚨
Are you a Special Needs parent in West Orange? Does your kid have an IEP? Do you care about the quality of our schools? Do you care about the value of your home? PLEASE READ BELOW!
At the West Orange Board of Education meeting on Monday, April 20, 2026, at 6:30 PM at West Orange High School, the district is expected to vote on terminating all paraprofessionals and outsourcing these vital positions to an outside agency.
This decision would be devastating for students with special needs. Paraprofessionals are the backbone of our special education programs—providing essential academic, behavioral, and personal support while ensuring student safety and the consistent implementation of IEPs. Without them, the stability and effectiveness of our classrooms will be severely compromised.
Many of these dedicated professionals have served the district for more than 20 years, building trusted relationships with students and families. To dismiss their decades of commitment in favor of outsourcing is not only harmful to students, but also deeply disrespectful to those who have devoted their careers to this community.
District leadership must be held accountable for decisions that jeopardize the well-being of our most vulnerable learners. If this plan moves forward, it calls into question the leadership and direction of the district.
📢 Please attend and make your voice heard.
📍 West Orange High School
📅 Monday, April 20, 2026
🕡 6:30 PM
Stand up for our students. Stand up for our paraprofessionals.
Agencies such as ESS often rely on a rotating pool of substitutes, which can lead to frequent staff changes and limited familiarity with students’ individual needs and IEP requirements. This instability undermines the continuity and specialized support that our students depend on. Our Special Education classrooms will be unrecognizable if this plan moves forward!
