$114M School Budget Passes

The Montclair School District’s $114 million school budget passed Thursday night and included no tax increase. 

The Board of School Estimate unanimously voted to approve the school budget put together by the Board of Education. The $114 million overall budget is 3.3-percent higher than the 2012-13 budget, and $97,509,698 will be raised from taxpayers. 

Mayor Robert Jackson, who is on the Board of School Estimate, said the board made no substantive changes to the budget that was proposed by the Board of Education in February, but noted some adjustments could be made later. 

“There could be some maneuvering still, but I think it was a good job of addressing our needs,” said Jackson. “Moving forward, it certainly addresses the objectives [Superintendent Penny MacCormack] has in terms of improving overall school performance.”

Interim Business Administrator Nicolas Puleio said the fact that the Board of School Estimate made no major changes to the budget was “a credit to the approach Dr. MacCormack put in place with the budget.” 

Thursday’s meeting in the George Inness Annex was over in a matter of minutes and involved little discussion from the Board of School Estimate, which is comprised of Jackson, Montclair Council members William Hurlock and Sean Spiller, and Board of Education members Shelly Lombard and Norman Rosenblum. 

The Board of School Estimate also approved about $116,000 in bonds to help pay for $2.7 million worth of districtwide capital projects next year. 

The majority of the money set aside in the 2013-14 budget for capital projects — about $1.9 million — will be spent on maintaining district facilities. 

The remainder of the funds will be used for technology upgrades, $600,000; site improvements, $90,000; furniture and equipment, $50,000; and pipe replacements, $50,000.