By: Frank Santos, Follow South Jersey Community Journalist
TRENTON, N.J. — Chanting “Fed up, fired up,” more than two dozen Camden students took their protest to the front steps of the New Jersey Department of Education building on Wednesday June 4th, demanding answers and accountability from the state.
Behind the glass walls of the building, Superintendent Katrina McCombs was presenting the Camden City School District’s 2025 annual report. Outside, students were protesting a harsh reality: 117 district employees are set to lose their jobs on July 1st in an attempt to close a staggering $91 million budget gap.
The layoffs impact nearly every role in the school system — teachers, counselors, custodians, nurses, clerks, security, behavior specialists, and even principals. It’s one of the largest cuts the district has seen in years.
Organized by the Camden Parent Student Union with support from the NJ Working Families Party, and local school staff, the student-led rally was fueled by frustration. Students shared stories of disappearing resources, lack of academic support, and emotional exhaustion. For many, this protest wasn’t just about budget numbers — it was about being heard.
Kevin Duncan, valedictorian of the Camden High School Class of 2025, made his frustration clear. “The renaissance schools are taking money from public schools and leaving us in a $91 million deficit,” he said.
Camden’s school district is the only one in New Jersey still under full state control. That fact has only deepened concern among families and educators about how such a massive deficit happened without any local accountability. Some of the employees being laid off were hired using federal COVID-19 relief funds, which have since dried up.
The announcement came shortly after spring break, catching many staff members off guard. The district said some of the positions may be reinstated if other staff resign or retire, but that’s little comfort for the people and programs already being cut.
McCombs, who is leaving her role at the end of June to take a new position with the state, said she was instructed to “rightsize” the district. She claimed that months of planning went into reducing the impact on students, but the damage is already being felt.
“The board met today, but didn’t allow the students to speak,” said Ronsha A. Dickerson, Executive Director of the Camden Parent Student Union. “How do you talk about our schools without letting the youth speak for themselves?”
Antoinette Miles, State Director of NJ Working Families Party, added, “We should all care about what’s going on in Camden because if a school district that is under state control can have this happen, then it can happen to any of our public schools and we must be clear about that.”
Supporters from the NAACP New Jersey Youth & College Division, the New Jersey Education Association, and the Camden Education Association joined students at the rally.
Meanwhile, inside the building, decisions were being made without them.
The layoffs are just one part of the district’s restructuring. Morgan Village Middle School is being converted into an alternative school, and students in grades 6 through 8 will be reassigned to nearby family schools. With staff already stretched thin, the changes threaten to overload classrooms and reduce access to support services even further.
The Camden school district employs over 1,600 people, making it one of the city’s largest employers. These cuts will ripple far beyond the school walls, touching homes, communities, and futures.
But on Wednesday, Camden students made it clear: their education is not a line item. And they’re not done fighting for it.
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