Montclair Charter School Faces Heavy Opposition

MONTCLAIR, NJ — As opposition to the proposed Montclair Charter School mounts, public school supporters are planning to rally against the establishment of a French immersion charter school that they claim will siphon millions from the district’s budget and adversely impact student racial diversity.

Montclair public school officials issued a news release on Monday about the Sept. 14 rally against the proposed institution formerly known as the Fullbright Academy Charter School, which is slated to take place from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Montclair High School amphitheater at the corner of Park & Chestnut Streets (inside the high school auditorium in event of rain).

Speakers at the rally will include New Jersey Senator Nia Gill, Assemblyman Thomas Giblin, Assemblywoman Sheila Oliver and Essex County Freeholder Brendan Gill, along with Montclair Mayor Robert Jackson and members of the Montclair Township Council, as well as Montclair Superintendent Ron Bolandi who will emcee.

“The rally is an opportunity to celebrate Montclair’s fine public schools at the start of the school year and to oppose the establishment of a French immersion charter school which will have the effect of siphoning off two to five million dollars from the school district’s budget and adversely impact the racial diversity of the school district,” the district news release stated.

A range of community leaders and organizations have expressed opposition to the proposed charter school, which has made it to Phase II of its application and is awaiting state Department of Education approval.

In August, the Montclair Civil Rights Commission sent a letter to DOE officials stating that the charter school wasn’t appropriate for the Montclair School District.

“The CRC is united in its opposition to the application, as we believe it would impose a high tax impact for a merely speculative proposal,” members wrote. “The proposed school would constitute an unnecessary and frivolous expense for tax paying citizens of Montclair.”

Freeholder Gill stated in a letter to state officials that Montclair shouldn’t have to suffer school cuts, higher taxes and increased school segregation to support an immersion French school that is “not educationally necessary” for the district.

Gill estimated that the Montclair school district would lose $525,000 for 50 charter students, $2,625,000 for 250 charter students and $4,725,000 for 450 students.

James Harris, speaking on behalf of the Montclair NAACP, said in July that the Montclair chapter adamantly opposes the charter school.

“These charters are havens for segregation and separation rather than integration,” Harris said.

In August, the Montclair Fund for Educational Excellence proclaimed its opposition to the proposed school.

“Such a significant depletion of funds would result in steep staff and program cuts that would negatively impact our public school students, particularly our at-risk students,” the MFEE stated in a news release. “That these cuts would be made for the benefit of a few at the expense of the majority of students is particularly troublesome to the MFEE.”

In July, the Montclair Community Pre-K school officially declared its opposition to the proposed facility.

“Neither the MCPK, nor any of its employees or board members, has had any involvement with the charter school application,” school administrators wrote. “The Montclair Charter School application alleges that the proposed charter school will enjoy a ‘natural relationship’ with the MCPK for recruiting students, but there has been no discussion about this — or anything else —between the two groups.”

Photo: Patch file photo

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