No Teacher, Staff Cuts In Montclair’s Preliminary School Budget

MONTCLAIR, NJ — There will be no teacher or staff cuts in Montclair next year under a tentative budget for 2024-2025, district administrators announced this week.

Montclair Public School Superintendent Jonathan Ponds and business administrator Christina Hunt presented a preliminary 2024-2025 budget at the board of education meeting on Thursday. The highlight of the early spending plan? “No staff cuts,” officials emphasized.

View the district’s budget presentation online here.

“Being able to announce this critical component of the budget at this early date, relieves the angst and hardship that staff members feel in the spring when cuts are often made,” Ponds said.

“We want to ensure that staff members are confident in the fact they will be employed and have health benefits to provide for themselves and family members,” he added.

“Budget season is often a stressful time,” said newly-elected board president Melanie Deysher.

“More than 80 percent of the operating budget consists of salaries and benefits, and it is good to know our most valuable assets – our staff – are protected,” Deysher said.

According to a statement from the superintendent’s office, school administrators are making plans to meet with the district’s labor unions, as well as the PTAC and SEPAC. Read More: Montclair Schools And Union Contracts; District Offers Update

The PTAC will be hosting a “Budget 101 Forum” in February, administrators noted.

The district’s preliminary budget announcement comes after a contentious budget season in 2023, which saw protests and a student walkout to protest budget cuts that left dozens of teachers without jobs.

• See Related: Montclair Students Protest Teacher Cuts In School Budget (WATCH)
• See Related: School Budget Cuts Leave Montclair Residents With Big Questions
• See Related: Montclair School Budget Update: Can PILOTs Save The Day?

SCHOOL BOND UPDATE

According to the superintendent’s office, the preliminary budget also has another bit of good news, and it involves a massive, ongoing renovation campaign in the Montclair Public School District.

• See Related: Montclair School Bond Update: Taxpayers Will Save More Than Expected

“Additionally, the district was able to maintain the zero debt service tax levy, as was first reported in November,” administrators said. “This means there will be no additional taxes because of the bond referendum.”

The superintendent’s office added:

“The district aggressively pursued additional interest income and other financial variables in order to maintain the tax levy at zero. The only increase to taxes will be from the tax levy of 1.11% and utilizing the health insurance adjustment (banked cap) which will still equate to the 2% cap normally seen every year.”

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