Harrison Parents Blindsided by Aftercare Program Cuts

Parents in Harrison were left scrambling for childcare arrangements after the Harrison Board of Education abruptly canceled its Aftercare Program with only limited notice to families, raising questions about budgeting priorities, transparency, and financial planning within one of New Jersey’s state-supported Abbott school districts.

The controversy spilled into the public during the Tuesday, May 19, 2026, Harrison Mayor & Council meeting, where town officials unanimously approved a $1 million transfer from the Town of Harrison to the Harrison Board of Education.

Notably absent from the meeting was Mayor James Fife. In his place, 4th Ward Councilman James Doran presided over the meeting. Doran is a longtime former Harrison school administrator who previously served as Superintendent of Schools and later as Director of Personnel for the Harrison Public School, when then-Governor Chris Christie imposed a salary cap on Superintendents of Schools.

Public Questions Elimination Aftercare Program

During the public discussion, residents questioned why the Board of Education had abruptly eliminated the Aftercare Program with approximately four weeks remaining in the school year, leaving many working parents with little time to secure alternative childcare.

According to residents, parents reportedly received only about one week’s notice that the program serving Lincoln School and Kennedy School students, along with various non-sport after-school activities, would be discontinued due to funding issues.

A resident who wrote Your Harrison described the program as “a lifeline for Harrison’s working families” and stated that private childcare alternatives could cost families between $1,000 and $2,000 per month.

Doran Says Health Insurance Cost To Blame

At the May 19, 2026,  Council meeting, Doran explained that the Board of Education’s health insurance costs had risen higher than anticipated and that the school district needed to reduce expenses and decided to cut the Aftercare program.

However, residents questioned whether eliminating the program with only weeks remaining in the school year was necessary.

One resident pointed out at the Harrison Mayor & Council meeting that the estimated cost to continue the program for the final four weeks of the school year would have been approximately $40,000, a relatively small amount compared to the overall school district budget.

One Million Dollar Transfer Question

After the resident left the meeting, the members of the Town Council, including Councilman James Doran and Councilman Larry Bennett who is running for Hudson County Commissioner in the upcoming Tuesday, June 2, 2026 Primary Election, could not articulate what a 1 million dollar transfer to the Harrison Board of Education was allocated for despite approving the transfer unanimously without any discussion, nor did they confirm that the money would specifically fund or restore the Aftercare Program.

The resolution adopted by the Mayor & Council merely states that the transfer is for use in the “2025-2026 Harrison School District budget.”

Questions have also emerged regarding why the Harrison Board of Education allegedly did not utilize surplus funds or reserve accounts to temporarily continue the program through the end of the school year.

Parents On Facebook

As of this week, according to multiple Facebook posts circulating among Harrison parents, the Aftercare Program has reportedly been reinstated for the remainder of the current school year. However, uncertainty remains about whether the program will continue during the 2026-2027 school year. Some parents received emails about the program's reinstatement.  Other parents learned the news on Facebook.

School Funding Discussion

The situation has reignited broader discussion about school funding in Harrison.

Harrison is one of New Jersey’s former Abbott Districts, now known as SDA Districts, which receive substantial state financial support under long-standing New Jersey Supreme Court rulings intended to ensure funding equity in lower-income school districts.

According to a previously published budget analysis, Harrison schools received more than $33 million annually in State of New Jersey educational aid, including funding for security, transportation, and special education.

In addition to state aid, Harrison property taxpayers continue to contribute heavily toward school operations through local taxes.

The Harrison school district budget for the 2025-2026 school year appears to total well over $50 million when combining state aid and local funding sources, although a finalized, publicly accessible “user-friendly budget” breakdown for the district was difficult to locate online immediately.

Publicly available education spending data indicate Harrison’s cost per student is $17,092.

For many parents, however, the core issue is less about abstract budget figures and more about communication and planning.

The submitted community opinion piece criticized what parents described as a lack of transparency from both school and municipal leadership. The article stated that even school administrators allegedly lacked sufficient information to provide answers to families.

Parents are now seeking assurances that the program, viewed by many working families as essential rather than optional, will remain in place moving forward.

The controversy also raises larger questions about fiscal management, reserve funding, and priorities within a school district that receives both substantial state aid and local taxpayer support.

Whether the reinstatement of the program becomes a temporary fix or a long-term commitment may become a major issue for Harrison's parents heading into the next school year. One parent pointed out that there is a before-school program, which is as important as the after-school program.

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