Montclair School District faces $20 million budget shortfall, leading to mass layoffs

How did a top New Jersey school district end up nearly $20 million in debt?

Montclair’s new superintendent says she uncovered a massive budget shortfall that could leave more than 100 school employees jobless by year’s end. Now, residents face a tough choice — raise already sky-high property taxes or risk deep cuts to the town’s prized public schools. FOX 5 NY’s Sharon Crowley reports.

NEW JERSEY - The Montclair School District is facing a financial crisis after officials revealed a nearly $20 million budget shortfall, forcing the superintendent to issue pink slips to more than 100 school employees, including several teachers.

What we know:

Montclair, known as an affluent suburb with some of New Jersey’s most sought-after public schools, is now grappling with deep cuts that have rattled the community. 

Among those laid off were non-tenured teachers, paraprofessionals, security staff, and administrative workers.

What they're saying:

"It’s years of financial mismanagement," said Danny Marcketta, president of the Montclair Education Association. "The Board of Education failed to act. They were made aware of this for years, they buried their heads in the sand. It’s not a surprise, and it was avoidable."

Monclair teachers express concern

Cathy Kondreck, an art teacher and former union leader, said she’s concerned about the livelihoods of her colleagues. "As a union leader, I want my members to have the jobs they’ve rightfully earned and deserve to be here," she said.

Parents are also expressing frustration over how the district plans to move forward. Rich Reynics, president of the Edgemont Elementary School PTA, said the timing of the cuts makes them even more painful. "Cutting a district school budget in the middle of the year is much harder than cutting it at the beginning," Reynics said. "You’re halfway through the year and half the money is spent, so it would really be draconian cuts if it goes on January first."

Montclair vote

What's next:

Two measures on the Dec. 9 ballot could help preserve some of the affected jobs, but they would come at a cost. 

Both proposals would raise property taxes in a town where residents already pay some of the highest in the state.

Superintendent Ruth Turner said she’s committed to fixing the district’s finances and preventing this from happening again.
"There was some level of mismanagement," Turner said. "One of the things that happened is that services continued, staff were paid every time we needed to pay them, but it was a lot of overspending and under-budgeting that, year after year, built up this snowball of debt."

Turner said she is now focused on ensuring fiscal responsibility moving forward. But if voters reject the upcoming ballot measures, she warned that even deeper cuts could follow.

A Board of Education meeting scheduled for tonight is expected to draw a large crowd of parents, teachers, and community members ready to voice their frustration and demand accountability.