JERSEY CITY, NJ — More than 1,500 people have signed a petition asking Jersey City's school board to hold off on extending the contract of current Superintendent Norma Fernandez.
The five-year contract is up for a hearing and vote at a meeting on Thursday.
The proposed five-year contract runs through June 2031 and would pay the superintendent $341,000 starting this month through next summer, increasing by $10,000 each subsequent fiscal year.
Fernandez is currently the second highest paid schools superintendent in New Jersey, after the superintendent of the Bergen County Vocational Technical district. Jersey City is the second largest city in the Garden State.
"The Jersey City Board of Education should not renew, extend, amend, renegotiate, approve new terms, or allow automatic renewal of the superintendent’s contract while major accountability questions remain unresolved," the petition says. "Families across Jersey City have raised serious concerns about district leadership."
The petition was posted weeks after a parent was arrested at a school board meeting for advocating for special education services.
Parents have expressed outrage since then, saying the board is not transparent or responsive. READ MORE: City Officials Asked Cops To Remove Parent: Complaint
The petition cited issues "including special education services, nonpublic school services, overcrowding, facilities, student safety, bullying, technology and spending decisions, transparency, and public accountability."
Patch reached out to Superintendent Fernandez and other officials for comment, and will update this story if comment is received.
The meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. Thursday. More information about the meeting is here.
The petition is here.
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