Superintendent Ruth B. Turner and Interim Business Administrator Dana Sullivan host a Budget Town Hall on Sept 26, 2025 at Buzz Aldrin Middle School
About 100 community members, including parents, town council members, and students, gathered in the Buzz Aldrin Middle School auditorium Friday night, with another 200 watching on Zoom, to hear Superintendent Ruth B. Turner and Interim Business Administrator Dana Sullivan confront a sobering reality: Montclair Public Schools’ deficit is deeper than anyone had realized.
The meeting began with some clarification. After further review, the total school district deficit, including the current $7 million budget shortfall for the 2025-2026 school year, totals $19.6 million.
Turner opened the evening with both urgency and resolve. “This deficit is not the end of our story,” she told the audience. “It is a moment for us to work side by side to protect what matters most: the learning, growth, and well-being of our students.”
Two Paths Forward
The district outlined two stark options, with the possibility of a combined strategy:
- Seek an interest-free loan from the state. This would advance state aid but comes with strings attached, namely, a state-appointed fiscal monitor with the power to veto local decisions. Notably, state aid will only cover previous debt, excluding the $7 million debt for the 2025-2026 period.
- Ask taxpayers to foot the bill via a special election. Voters would decide on December 9 whether to approve a one-time infusion of $12.6 million plus a permanent $7 million budget increase going forward. To cover the $7 million budget shortfall, the additional tax per property owner would be a one-time average payment of $1,800, said Sullivan.
Turner didn’t endorse one path over the other. “It would be unfair for me to say, ‘go with option two, which is going to in crease taxes,’ if folks are feeling like that, I can’t do that,” she said. “I can live with whatever choice we make.”
Still, she underlined her personal commitment: “Everything begins and ends with the superintendent… I would not be here, period, if I did not feel confident enough to lead this school district.”
pAPER SHORTFALL Rumors Confirmed
Parents who heard that the district was short on copy paper weren’t wrong. “Staples halted deliveries until the district paid its overdue bill,” Sullivan admitted. Paper deliveries are expected to resume next week.
What’s at Stake
Audience questions revealed deep concern about the ripple effects of cuts. A Montclair High School soccer player described overcrowded buses where students sat on the floor to away games. Would budget cuts mean even fewer buses?
Turner didn’t sugarcoat the situation. “Because it’s such a huge deficit, I can’t sit here today and say we won’t touch sports, we won’t reduce staffing. It would be unfair,” she said. “At the end of the day, we have to have a balanced budget. That’s a non-negotiable.”
This student concluded by asking, “As a student, what can we do to contribute?” which received applause, and Turner became noticeably emotional. “It’s heartbreaking that you have to ask that,” she said.
Equity Concerns With a State Monitor
Several parents warned that ceding control to the state could undermine Montclair’s diversity and magnet system. One resident, drawing on experience in another district under state control, said inequities flourished elsewhere, but believed Montclair parents wouldn’t tolerate that here.
The fear is that state monitors may focus solely on “dollars and cents,” cutting courtesy busing, clubs, pre-kindergarten programs, or even closing schools, with little regard for community values. But as one parent said, might we benefit from the state making hard decisions for us since it’s evident the district has been fiscally incompetent? Is the “state” really a boogeyman?
Community Pushback
Some residents voiced concern about the burden on homeowners. “Our taxes are already high. I don’t think they should go up even higher. There’s gotta be another way,” one longtime resident said.
Others pressed for systemic reform instead of piecemeal cuts: revisiting transportation spending, consolidating services with other districts, and rethinking tax deals with developers. One speaker cited the Pine Street development near Bay Street station as “obscene,” saying it got a 40% discount while sending students to schools taxpayers must fund.
One parent summed up the evening: “We can’t afford the schools we have. All of our kids are losing something they value.”
Calls for Transparency
Multiple speakers urged the district to pursue a forensic audit and adopt a modern accounting system. Turner pledged openness but stopped short when pressed about whether former administrators could be held personally liable. “I cannot answer those questions… my responsibility is to not unintentionally cause any kind of liability concerns for the school,” she said.
What Comes Next
The Board of Education must decide by October 10 whether to move forward with the special election. If approved, voters will face a ballot question on December 9 that could determine the future of Montclair’s schools.
Turner urged collaboration: “Your voice, your questions, and ideas are essential as we navigate this path forward.”
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