4 Quick Updates As New School Year Begins In Montclair

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A new school year kicked off Tuesday in Montclair, and as usual, there is plenty for students, parents and the community to get caught up on, administrators say.

Last week, Montclair School Superintendent Jonathan Ponds gave the community a glimpse into the upcoming year, which will include potential pre-K expansion, a $188 million bond referendum, construction work, and the end of COVID-19 contact tracing in the district.

Here are some of the things to keep on your radar.

FREE PRE-K IN MONTCLAIR

Administrators in Montclair have been preparing for a possible wave of funding that would empower free, universal pre-K in the district, Ponds said.

The superintendent wrote:

“A wonderful opportunity is before us. We have applied for New Jersey’s Department of Education (NJDOE) preschool expansion aid. If we receive this grant funding, we will be on our way to FREE, universal PreK in the Montclair Public Schools in conjunction with community partners. Our team worked hard on applying for this aid even while on summer vacation, and the announcement about grant awards should arrive in the first two weeks of September. We are not letting a moment go to waste and are preparing for six, free, inclusive and full-day preschool classrooms for three- and four-year-olds beginning October 3. Four of these classrooms will be housed in the district (two at the DLC, two at Nishuane), one at the Montclair Community PreK, and one at the YMCA, Geyer St. facility. We are hopeful that our district will be awarded funding and will begin anticipatory outreach for registration which will be done by lottery.”

For more information or to learn how to apply, visit the district’s PreK webpage.

BOND REFERENDUM

Ponds also provided an update on the district’s plans to put a bond referendum before local voters this November.

The Montclair Public School District is planning a $188 million bond referendum to pay for “critical health and safety facility needs,” including ventilation, a problem that was put in the spotlight during the coronavirus pandemic, administrators announced earlier this year.

If the referendum passes in November, the upgrades would take place over several years, concluding in December 2028. Read More: $188M Montclair School Bond Proposal On Track For November Election

The superintendent wrote:

“For almost a year, the Montclair Public School District has been working to present a community investment/bond proposal for voter approval. This proposal is designed to address very significant school facility needs regarding health and safety, code requirements and educational adequacy. The NJ Department of Education (NJDOE) is still in its internal review process, and we expect to hear back about projects deemed eligible for state school facilities aid. We will then prepare the question as it will appear on the ballot with the exact costs and submit it for Board approval.”

See a cost breakdown from the board here. See a list of what is planned for each school here. Montclair administrators have also released a list of frequently asked questions and their answers, which can be seen on the district website.

CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

According to Ponds, the district’s Buildings and Grounds team has been hard at work this summer.

“In addition to summer cleaning at all locations, many projects were completed, and others are slated to begin this month as September was the earliest date we could schedule contractors,” Ponds wrote.

Ponds said the Hillside dance studio and stage floor, the Glenfield dance studio floor, the high school’s wood shop floor and painting, Nishuane's auditorium VFDs (variable frequency drives), and bathrooms at Renaissance are some of the projects beginning this month.

Buildings and Grounds workers are also completing projects under the Energy Savings Improvement Plan (ESIP). These ESIP projects include items like lighting upgrades, mechanical rooftop unit replacements, efficiency motors, piping insulation upgrades and building management systems, the superintendent added.

The work is scheduled to be finished this fall, he said.

CONTACT TRACING

Moving forward, the Montclair Public School District won’t be doing contact tracing for the coronavirus, Ponds said last week.

According to the superintendent:

“Please know we have updated our website to reflect the latest COVID-19 guidance from the CDC and Department of Health along with community resources. As we follow their recommendations, we will no longer be contact tracing. Your children’s health, safety and wellbeing are of our utmost priorities. All nursing staff and emergency response team members will be recertified in AED/CPR practices this fall. As always our nursing staff looks forward to being a helpful, friendly resource for all of our students.”

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