Camden schools are laying off 117 employees to close a budget deficit. Here are three of their stories.

Camden school district plans to lay off 117 employees July 1 to close a $91 million budget deficit, marking its most sweeping job cuts in recent years.

The cuts run deep in the South Jersey school system and include teachers, custodians, security guards, counselors, nurses, and support personnel.

Superintendent Katrina McCombs has said she had no choice but to impose the cuts to balance the budget for the 2025-2026 school year. She said she was told by the state to “rightsize the district.”

» READ MORE: Facing a $91 million budget shortfall, Camden school district planning possible job cuts and layoffs

McCombs, who is leaving June 30 for a state job, said district officials struggled with the budget for months, seeking to minimize the impact in the classroom.

“I understand the human impact of these decisions,” McCombs said in April. Behind every number is a person— a colleague, an educator, someone who has given their time and talent to our students, schools and communities."

McCombs will likely face tough questions when she presents her final report Wednesday to the state Board of Education. Community activists plan to trek to Trenton for the meeting.

The cuts were announced after employees returned from spring break, and caught union leaders and staff by surprise. Uncertainty has caused angst while employees await the final numbers, which could change with retirements and resignations.

“I was so thrown off by this. I did not see this coming,” said Ayanna Dickerson-Bell, a health and social services coordinator whose last day is June 30.

Many have questioned how the district could land in such financial woes while under state oversight, as it is the only New Jersey school system under state control.

McCombs blamed in part a funding shortfall and declining enrollment since the 2013 takeover, as students have fled traditional public schools for charter and Renaissance schools, which are also publicly funded.

Some employees have bumping rights and may be able to return to a previously tenured position. Others were hired with federal COVID-19 funds that have been depleted.

A bubble of optimism surfaced this week, with rumors that the district may recall some employees who were given notices that their contracts would end June 30. The district is one of the largest employers in Camden with 1,613 employees.

Here are the stories of three employees affected by the cuts:

Growing up in Camden, Dickerson-Bell, 37, said her parents stressed the importance of giving back to the community. Her parents founded Camden’s Unity Community, a karate school and afterschool program for at-risk youth.

Dickerson-Bell, the youngest of four, followed in the footsteps of her brothers, Jamal and Nassir, both music educators in the district.

After working for the state at an alternative school in Ewing, she was hired in 2015 at the district’s Big Picture Learning Academy, a magnet school.

“I always wanted to come back to Camden,” she said.

She provides counseling for students in crisis who may have suffered a trauma or have behavioral problems. She also assists with recruiting and admissions.

“I realized my calling was to work with children,” she said. “I loved going to work every day.”

In 2023, she was named the district’s Educator of the Year. Dickerson-Bell was known for giving students her personal cell phone number and taking calls at any hour.

Married and the mother of a 16-year-old son, Jaleel, Dickerson-Bell said has applied for a position in the district as a guidance counselor. Her dream is to retire from Camden schools.

“God blessed me with this position. I always wanted to remain in Camden,” she said.

After graduating from college in 1987, Christine Schneider began her teaching career in suburban districts in South Jersey. She then found her niche teaching in challenging urban environments.

Schneider landed in at Forest Hill Elementary in Camden two years ago, after the district received federal COVID-19 funds to help get students back on track.

She was hired as a co-teacher, assigned to fourth-graders the first year and second-graders this year. The district assigned two certified teachers to every K-5 classroom and offer more small group instruction and remediation.

At the beginning of the school year, Schneider said about 87% of her second-graders were failing to meet math standards. That has fallen to about 27%, she said.

“I feel very valued. The kids want to work hard,” said Schneider, 51, of Maple Shade.

Schneider said she was surprised to learn that her job was being eliminated because of funding. She said the district should consider merit as well as seniority.

“I figured this would be the district I would retire from,” she said. “I love it here.”

A single parent with two daughters, Schneider said she hopes to find another teaching job in Camden. She worries that she could find herself in the same situation next year if the district is able to recall some employees.

“It’s really though having to walk away from the kids, the smiles and hugs they have for me every day,” she said. “It’s been really bittersweet.”

As a family operations coordinator at H.B. Wilson Family School, Jessica Mannino works closely with students and their parents to help boost learning.

The district plans to lay off Mannino and seven others in similar positions at other schools as liaisons to the community. She said she worries about the void for parents and caregivers.

Mannino helps parents access grades, attends meetings with administrators, and offers her office as a safe place for students. She has purchased uniforms for students and help those suffering from trauma.

“I will never turn a kid away,” she said.

Mannino, 35, of Mount Laurel, began working in the district’s school-based youth services program and has spent eight years in the district.

Mannino said she believes support services are essential to help students overcome obstacles that could impede learning.

“It kind of made me just question if the people making the decisions are putting students first,” she said. “I worry about the well being of not only the kids but the families.”

Manino said she wants to remain in Camden.

“I’m going to do my best to land a role doing the same thing. The resilience in this city is amazing,” she said.