Montgomery Residents Oppose Early Renewal Of Superintendent Contract

MONTGOMERY, NJ — A petition with 539 signatures is urging the Montgomery Township Board of Education to reject a proposed five-year contract for Superintendent Mary McLoughlin and wait for a newly elected board to take up the issue in 2027.

The petition says the board is scheduled to vote on Sept. 15, even though McLoughlin's current contract does not expire until June 30, 2027.

To see the proposed Superintendent contract on the agenda for the Sept. 15 Board of Education meeting, click here.

According to the petition, three board seats are on the November 2026 ballot and two current members are not seeking re-election.

The petition states that the board has until March 2, 2027, to provide notice of its renewal decision. It asks the current board to defer action until the board taking office in January 2027 can participate.

The petition says the proposed agreement would raise the superintendent's annual salary from $233,398 as of June 30, 2026, to $279,000 effective July 1, 2026.

It describes that as a 19.54 percent increase, or $45,602 in one year. The petition also states the proposed agreement would commit Montgomery taxpayers to fund $2.12 million in total compensation over five years.

The document raises several objections to the proposed contract.

It says a five-year term would limit the authority of future boards and reduce their flexibility to evaluate performance, respond to district needs, and negotiate different terms.

It also says the proposal includes automatic salary increases that are not tied to publicly stated performance targets, measurable benchmarks, or documented improvements in district results.

The petition also points to a proposed enrollment benefit for the superintendent's children in the Montgomery Township School District.

According to the petition, that benefit does not appear in the current contract. The petition says the board should explain the benefit publicly and address questions about fairness, transparency, and equal treatment.

In making its case, the petition points to broader district concerns, including long-term enrollment decline and facility maintenance needs.

It states, "Our school roofs are leaking. Our children sit in classrooms with buckets collecting rainwater."

It also states, "At the April 2026 budget hearing, the superintendent stated that the district needed an additional 6.5 percent increase in school taxes to retain teachers and student programs."

The petition cites New Jersey Department of Education salary reports and says McLoughlin is already among the five highest-paid superintendents in Somerset County.

"The January 2027 Board should decide whether to renew the superintendent's contract and on what terms," according to the petition.

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