Fleischer Drops Out Of Montclair Board Of Education Race: 2025 Election

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Brian Fleischer is ending his re-election bid for the Montclair Board of Education.

On Monday, Fleischer announced that he is withdrawing his name from consideration in the 2025 school board race. Since he did not do so in time to be removed from the ballot, his name will still appear alongside the other four candidates.

There are three open seats on the board in the Nov. 4 general election. Fleischer’s term expires at the end of December. Read More: Montclair 2025 Election Guide (Candidates, Deadlines, How To Vote)

Fleischer’s announcement comes as the district is struggling with a nearly $20 million budget gap. A potential bailout for Montclair’s embattled public school district will be placed in the hands of local voters in a special election this December, but they’ll have to greenlight a property tax increase if they want to make it a reality. Read More: Montclair School Board OKs Special Election For Taxpayer Bailout

Fleischer – the board’s finance chair – confirmed he is out of the race with Patch. He explains why he’s withdrawing in the following letter:

“To my fellow Montclair community members,

“I am writing in my individual capacity as a community member and candidate for the Montclair Board of Education and not in my capacity as an active member of the Board of Education. I speak only for myself and not on behalf of any other members of the Board or the Board as a whole or for the school district.

“Because of a $12.6 million operating budget deficit comprised of contractual obligations to creditors as of the conclusion of the 2024-2025 budget year and an anticipated $7 million deficit that could compel devastating in-year cuts that would harm our students and our schools, Superintendent Ruth B. Turner recommended, and the Board of Education approved, a special election for December 9 with two separate questions.

“Ǫuestion Number 1 seeks approval from the voters to raise an additional $12,600,000 as a one-time tax levy to satisfy the district’s prior years’ debts, negating the need of an advance of state aid which would require a state monitor to supervise operations of the district until paid back in full.

“Ǫuestion Number 2 seeks approval from the voters to raise an additional $7,600,000 for the 2025-2026 school year to fund costs for a forensic audit of the previous financial records and replace the district’s old and obsolete accounting software, and most critically, to avoid devastating and disruptive in-year cuts that would unquestionably harm our students and our schools, including but not limited to school nurses, curriculum support teachers, security guards, Restorative Justice teachers, kindergarten classroom aides, courtesy busing, as well as numerous spring sports and clubs.

“I will personally be voting yes on both questions because the academic, physical, social and emotional welfare of the students served by our schools has been, remains, and will always be my driving motivation. I understand that this is a very personal decision that each voter must make that will involve great thought and economic analysis.

“I believe that, under the leadership of Superintendent Turner and Interim Business Administrator Sullivan, the school district is on the right track to earn back the community’s trust in the district’s financial stewardship, processes and controls. As a community we have a right and a responsibility to understand the school funding mechanisms, regulatory constraints and market factors that drive up the cost of maintaining existing school staffing and programs by materially more each year than the district’s revenues, and the difficult choices that reality will impose on each year’s budget. Mrs. Turner has embraced that responsibility with transparency and a commitment to sound fiscal stewardship and sustainability, and has affirmatively asked the Board and the community to hold her accountable.

“That said, I understand that many in the community may still be hesitant to trust me as a candidate, in the wake of the financial situation that has precipitated the need for the December 9 special election. And many community members understandably are angry and feeling betrayed.

“I too have been feeling angry and betrayed. I believe that deficiencies in the financial reporting to the Board and the public and deficient responses to Board member questions and concerns undermined our ability to provide robust governance oversight and to hold the system and its leaders accountable for making critical, difficult and, yes, unpopular budget and spending decisions that could have mitigated the magnitude of this crisis. I say this recognizing that even with perfect information and transparency, the district would be faced with structural deficits due to the cost of critical mandated and essential items across the budget rising at a faster rate than revenues can. But I could have, should have, and I firmly believe would have, made different choices with accurate information.

“I have spent many hours going back over many months and years of committee reports and financial reports and audit reports and bills lists second guessing myself. I know I asked many questions and raised many concerns and that those questions and concerns contributed to the changes we’re seeing today under Mrs. Turner and Ms. Sullivan. Could I have asked even more questions? Could I have raised my concerns sooner, and with greater urgency? These questions continue to plague me, and to be honest, I still don’t know the answer.

“Ultimately, however, in view of the tremendously difficult choices the community faces in the December 9 special election, my personal self-reflection and perseveration on what I could have done differently with or without better information is self-indulgent. This isn’t about me, nor should it be. I honestly have no idea if my presence in the Board of Education election on November 4, as the incumbent chair of the finance committee, would have any material impact on the special election questions on December 9, but it’s not a chance I am comfortable taking. Although it is not possible at this time to remove my name from the ballot, I have therefore decided to withdraw from the campaign and not pursue a second term on the Board of Education. I will fulfill my responsibilities as a Board member for the remaining two months of my term to the very best of my ability and then step aside for whomever the voters of Montclair elect in November.

“To the many friends, colleagues and even strangers who have reached out to me in support and who have urged me to stay in the race to continue serving on the Board, thank you and I’m sorry. To the friends, colleagues and strangers who have reached out to me with criticism and who have urged me to withdraw, also thank you.

“Know that I will always love Montclair, love our public schools, and love and honor the teachers, administrators, staff and volunteers who dedicate their heart and energy to the welfare of our students. I am and will always remain a Mountie.”

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