Newark Officials, State Close to Deal on Restoring More Authority to School Board

Newark’s school board may soon be getting a greater measure of authority over the district’s operations from the state of New Jersey, which has been running the city’s school system since a takeover in the mid-1990s, according to a report in NJ Spotlight.

Anionette Baskerville-Richardson, president of the Newark Schools Advisory Board, told NJ Spotlight negotiations have been ongoing, with a deal expected within a month.

The state appoints the district’s superintendent, who retains veto power over virtually any action voted on by the locally elected schools advisory board. While that is not likely to change for the foreseeable future, Newark officials will likely resume control over some aspects of the budget.