Montclair Homeowners Face School Tax Hike; District Hacks Away At Budget Gap

MONTCLAIR, NJ — The Montclair Public School District’s proposed budget will cost the average homeowner nearly $500 in additional taxes if it crosses the finish line intact, administrators say.

The district continues to hammer out its budget for 2025-2026. A public hearing is scheduled for May 7.

Early figures were presented at the board of education’s meeting on March 17 (see the presentation here). Business administrator Christina Hunt said the district is facing a deficit of $2.45 million in its $170.2 million spending plan, adding that she thinks it is possible to close the gap “without having teacher cuts.” Read More: Montclair Schools Facing $2.45M Budget Gap, Tax Levy Increase

Hunt gave an update on the draft budget at the board’s meeting on April 23.

The average homeowner with a property valued at $631,882 would pay $12,025 for the school portion of their taxes – an increase of $496 from last year’s $11,529.

Meanwhile, administrators continue to chop away at the budget gap and have whittled it down to $303,635, Hunt said.

Some of the cuts include:

• Central Office Reductions - $580,371
• Department of Equity, Curriculum and Instruction - $476,000
• Department of Technology - $491,991
• Department of Pupil Services - $300,000
• Business Office - $300,000

Watch video footage from the April 23 meeting below (the budget presentation begins around the 17-minute mark).

Property taxes in New Jersey are mainly made up of three parts: school, municipal and county. Here’s how that played out in Montclair for 2024, according to state data (percentages rounded up):

• School – 56.7%
• Municipal – 26.5%
• County – 16.9%

In 2024, Montclair residents paid $21,631 in property taxes on a home valued at $635,770 (not including credits and deductions). See Related: Here's How Much Montclair Homeowners Pay In Taxes (2025 Update)

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