Dozens Of Staff Cuts Possible In Montclair School Budget (Updated)

MONTCLAIR, NJ — NOTE: This article was updated with a statement from the Montclair Public School District.

Dozens of staff members in the Montclair Public School District may lose their jobs as part of cost-cutting measures meant to balance the 2023-2024 budget.

The Montclair Education Association says nearly $5.5 million in cuts to school staffing have been proposed in the district’s latest spending plan. See Related: Early Montclair School Budget Figures Released At Board Meeting

“Again, we face a budget crisis where many people will be facing cuts,” the teachers union said in a social media post on Sunday, urging residents to attend a potential budget vote at the board of education meeting on Monday evening.

A district spokesperson told Patch that the number of paraprofessionals who may be cut is 34, not 73, as previously quoted in a news release from the union. None of them are paraprofessionals for children with IEPs or in kindergarten.

According to the union, about 30 teacher jobs may also be included as part of the budget cuts, Montclair Local reported.

MONTCLAIR TOWN BUDGET

Property taxes in New Jersey are mainly made up of three parts: school, municipal and county. Here’s how that played out in Montclair during 2022, according to state figures:

• School – 57%
• Municipal – 26%
• County – 17%

According to the latest figures, Montclair homeowners would see a tax hike as part of this year’s proposed municipal budget. A property valued at $500,000 would see an increase of $63. Meanwhile, a property valued at $750,000 would see an increase of $95, and a property valued at $1 million would see a $126 increase.

The town council is scheduled to vote on the proposed budget on Tuesday. Read More: Montclair Town Budget Headed To Council: Here's The Tax Impact (VIDEO)

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