Montclair May Close This School To Help Fix Budget Woes

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A plan is in the works to close a public school in Montclair to help the district cope with its ongoing financial crisis.

District administrators are proposing to close Renaissance Middle School and turn it into a “standalone early learning center.” All Montclair students would attend one of the district’s two other middle schools: Buzz Aldrin or Glenfield.

The move would generate nearly $2.3 million in annual savings through operational efficiencies and staffing adjustments, administrators said.

Montclair School Superintendent Ruth Turner gave a presentation about the plan at the board of education’s meeting on March 11. See the slideshow here, or view it below.

Here are two things to know about the proposal, Turner said:

WHY IS THIS CHANGE NEEDED? – “Our district faces a structural budget deficit that requires us to align our resources with the realities of today's enrollment. District-wide middle school enrollment has declined steadily over the past decade, from 1,601 students in 2014-2015 to 1,365 today. Projections show enrollment remaining between 1,310 and 1,360 through 2031-2032. Operating three middle school buildings for this number of students spreads our resources across facilities that are not fully utilized. Buzz Aldrin and Glenfield Middle Schools have a combined capacity of 1,528 students based on current scheduling, which is well above projected enrollment for the foreseeable future. This is not a reaction to a temporary fluctuation. It is a strategic, data-driven response to sustained enrollment decline, and one that we have made regardless of the final outcome of the [March 10 special election] , which is still pending.”

WHAT WOULD THIS MEAN FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS? – “Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, all middle school students will attend either Buzz Aldrin or Glenfield. Current Renaissance 6th and 7th graders and current CHB 5th graders will be encouraged to participate in our standard re-ranking process to select their preferred placement. Sibling preference and other priority criteria will be honored. Families will have the opportunity to tour both schools, and we’ll be providing information sessions, translated materials, and direct outreach so every family can make an informed and confident choice. Placement request forms are open now through April 17, with placement notifications going out to Renaissance families by May 1.”

According to Turner, some benefits to consolidating into two middle schools include richer elective offerings, stronger support services and a larger peer community.

“We are committed to making this transition as smooth as possible,” the superintendent said.

Counseling and transition support would be available to help students acclimate socially, emotionally and academically, she said.

Turner said the proposal isn’t being made without consideration for families with children currently attending Renaissance school:

“I understand what this school means to you. Renaissance is not just a building. It is a community where your children have grown, where friendships have been formed, and where dedicated educators have poured their hearts into their work. I do not take this change lightly, and I want you to know that your feelings about this transition, whether frustration, sadness, or uncertainty, are heard and understood. We will walk through this transition alongside you. Every step of this process will be handled with care, with transparency, and with our students’ well-being as our highest priority. We are committed to doing our best to preserve what makes Renaissance special, its culture, its community, and its spirit within the receiving schools.”

The board of education is expected to vote on the proposal at their March 18 meeting.

If the proposal gets a green light from the school board, Renaissance will be reopened next fall with a new name: the Montclair Early Learning Academy. It will be repurposed as a dedicated PreK facility – which will serve a growing need in the township, Turner said.

“The building is well suited for this purpose, with 16 classrooms, 11 of which are already equipped with in-room bathrooms, and a large fenced outdoor play area,” the superintendent said.

“Our district currently has a waitlist of more than 180 families for PreK,” she continued. “This reinvestment allows us to open additional classrooms immediately and move closer to our goal of reaching 90 percent access for PreK. It also positions the district to receive significant additional state funding tied to expanded in-district PreK capacity.”

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