MONTCLAIR, NJ — The Montclair Public School District took another step towards a tax hike and nearly three dozen staff cuts at last week’s board of education meeting.
The Montclair Board of Education held a public hearing for the proposed 2026-2027 budget on April 29. Watch video footage here, or view it below.
The $179.8 million budget proposal would increase the tax levy by 3.92 percent, which is above the 2 percent state cap due to the partial use of a health insurance waiver.
If it crosses the finish line, the spending plan will come with an increase to the school portion of a local homeowner’s taxes: $851 for a home assessed at $639,000. This is separate from the town’s March 10 referendum, which approved a one-time, $12.6 million tax hike and rejected a permanent $5 million per year increase.
A wave of staff cuts is on the table, including 23 middle school teachers, four high school teachers and five elementary school teachers. Other staff positions under consideration for reduction include two central office positions, two custodians, two secretaries, a nurse and a school resource officer.
Many of the middle school teaching positions on the chopping block are from Renaissance at Rand Middle School. Administrators recently announced plans to close the school and reopen it as a pre-K facility.
Other cost-cutting measures in the proposal include the elimination of freshman sports, increase for some families’ transportation costs, and a multi-year phase-out of German language studies at Montclair High School.
Superintendent Ruth Turner addressed the attendees at the public hearing prior to discussing some of the above figures, which also includes an $8.8 million budget deficit.
“Before we begin, I want to acknowledge that this has been a very difficult and emotional time for many of us in our community,” she said. “Many of us – including the board – have heard concerns, your fears and your hopes. We have listened to families advocating for programs that they love and value… staff worried about their colleagues and classrooms… community members asking us to make responsible decisions for the future.”
“All of these voices matter, and I want you to know that they have been heard,” Turner said.
At the same time, it’s important to be honest about where the district currently stands financially, the superintendent said.
“That means making decisions that are grounded in data, centered on students and focused on long-term sustainability,” Turner said.
The board of education is scheduled to take a final vote on the budget at their May 6 meeting, ahead of the state-required May 14 deadline.
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