NJ Appoints State Monitor In Nutley Schools Amid Financial Woes

NUTLEY, NJ — New Jersey is taking over the financial reins from Nutley as the local school district continues to grapple with severe budget issues.

Nutley school officials recently announced that the district is experiencing some serious financial woes due to “inaccurate budgeting practices” that have been taking place over the past several years. Now there’s a $7 million shortfall that will have to be dealt with – and it may require some painful belt-tightening and cuts.

On Tuesday, Nutley School Superintendent Kent Bania announced that the New Jersey Department of Education has assigned the district a state monitor, Jeanette Makus.

Makus will assume fiscal control for the Nutley Public School District. Her appointment became effective on May 6, and she was in the district to meet with administrators on May 7.

Bania said that Makus – a retired county business administrator who most recently worked in the Passaic and Bergen County executive business offices – will work closely with the Nutley superintendent office and school board, and will “actively be in the district and at our board of education meetings moving forward.”

In return, the state will be giving Nutley schools a no-interest loan to cover this year's shortfall. The length of time before the monitor is removed will be up to the New Jersey Department of Education.

The Nutley Board of Commissioners, a separate government entity that oversees municipal affairs, issued a statement of support in solidarity with their peers in the school district on Wednesday:

“As was stated when the Board of Commissioners were first alerted to the Board of Education’s financial issues, we have been tracking the situation and offering advice when asked, and will continue to do so. In light of the Corrective Action Plan and the budget that was presented at last night’s BOE meeting, we acknowledge there is no perfect strategy or solution to fix the circumstances we as a town find ourselves in. However, as we have always done, the Board of Commissioners remain committed to assisting the BOE and uniting all Nutley residents to work together to find pragmatic solutions. Most importantly, we will ensure that our most valuable resource, our children, continue to receive - and that our teachers continue to provide - the highest quality education our township is known for and that our residents have come to expect.”

Catch up with our latest articles about the situation at the following links (click headline to read):

• See Related: Bad Budgeting Leads To $7M Shortfall In Nutley Schools
• See Related: Public Blowback Over Nutley School Budget Crunch Continues

Nutley’s neighbor – the Belleville Public School District – has also had its own experience with a state-appointed monitor.

In 2014, the New Jersey Department of Education assigned Thomas Egan to oversee the financial operations of the Belleville school district after a review of the district’s required financial audit revealed serious flaws in its finances, according to state officials.

Egan has intervened in the decision-making process for Belleville’s school board in the past, recently overruling a 4-3 vote on the School 1 property. He may also play a role in this year’s budget, which is in limbo after a 3-3-1 vote this week. Read More: Belleville School Board Sees Tie Vote On Budget, Potential Tax Hike

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