Budget Gap In Montclair Schools Balloons To $18 Million: Officials

MONTCLAIR, NJ — A multi-million-dollar budget gap is getting uglier in the Montclair Public School District, officials say.

The district’s new superintendent, Ruth Turner, and interim school business administrator, Dana Sullivan, recently announced they inherited a tricky financial situation after taking over their jobs on July 1 – including a series of unpaid purchase orders.

At the time, Turner said the deficit was projected to be nearly $11 million in the 2024-2025 budget. Contributing factors include “unanticipated costs, prior-year expenses and staffing not accounted for in the adopted budget.”

“We are consulting with state and local officials, external auditors, legal counsel, and our staff associations, and reviewing the 2025-26 budget process to prevent the recurrence of past issues,” the superintendent said. “In addition, we will be preparing a corrective action plan to strengthen financial oversight moving forward. “

Turner gave an update about the deficit on an interview with The Montclair Pod last week.

According to the superintendent, the district’s financial deficit has swelled to approximately $18 million, including a newly discovered $4 to $5 million shortfall in the current budget.

Turner said that after a direct appeal for help, the Township of Montclair has declined to provide any financial support to the school district.

The superintendent said that a state official hasn’t found evidence of fraud. “It is really incompetence, bad accounting and administration’s inability to say no,” she said.

Listen to the full podcast here.

TOWN HALL

Turner will host a public town hall to share an update on the budget situation on Friday, Sept. 26. The event will take place from 6 to 8 p.m. at Buzz Aldrin Middle School, 173 Bellevue Avenue. It will also be livestreamed online here. Virtual attendees and participants who cannot attend the meeting can submit their questions/comments online here.

• Read More: Montclair Hammers Out Town, School Budgets (See Tax Impacts)
• Read More: Montclair Schools Will Make 5 Staff Changes Due To Budget Constraints

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