Accountability matters
YES / YES is the start. As parents and residents, it is our responsibility to hold the district accountable for proper budgetary management.
How it will be different
Superintendent Ruth Turner began work with the Montclair School District on July 1, 2025. The former business administration employees (including the Business Administrator, Assistant Business Administrator and Accountant) – are no longer with the district.
Superintendent Turner promised transparency and put it into action. Since July 1, she has held at least five Town Halls where she has invited the public to join in-person or via Webex. She also opened Board of Education sessions, which were previously conducted in private, to the public. This level of public engagement represents a stark departure from that of previous superintendents.
Using social media to reach more stakeholders, Superintendent Turner has provided short videos detailing the fiscal crisis and answers to relevant frequently asked questions.
Change in managing district finances is here. So far, the district:
Initiated a comprehensive financial records review that uncovered the inherited budget crisis.
Employed a new auditing firm.
Instituted checks and balances to ensure one person does not control the entire expense process.
More info will be forthcoming, such as a 3-year/5-year plan (also see page 40 of this deck, shared by Superintendent Turner on Oct 27).
Hear from Superintendent Turner in the following Montclair Public Schools’ videos. Also view a list of proposed changes below.
The Past
VS.
Our Future
Spending
The Past: Irresponsible spending
Expenses were authorized by the Superintendent without being tied to the budget, and adjustments weren’t made in the financial system to capture those new obligations.
Our Future: Strict spending policies
Each new expense must be tied to a specific line in the budget in order to be approved, with thresholds requiring multiple approvals.
Duties
The Past: No checks and balances
One person had the power to create a request, authorize a transaction, issue a purchase order, and approve payment.
Our Future: Separation of duties and limits to individual authority
No single individual is able to both authorize and process transactions. Multiple parties “in the know” for sign-off.
Transparency
The Past: No financial transparency
Business Administrator prepared only mandated financial reports, often delivered months after the fact, and never presented key considerations or context.
Our Future: Frequent, regular, and clear financial reporting
The business administration will post understandable dashboards with info on cashflow and reserves monthly to a publicly accessible website; BOE Finance Committee “of the whole” will raise questions and concerns in public BOE meetings.
Public Reporting
The Past: No detailed public reporting of finances
Only mandated reports were posted to the website with the Board agenda and were rarely, if ever, presented or discussed in public.
Our Future: Detailed financial records open to community
Superintendent/Business administrator will host quarterly town halls, be available for Q&A and public comment, in addition to BOE meetings; create an audit committee with outside members, including finance professionals from community.
Oversight
The Past: Lack of oversight
Overruns were only reported months after they were incurred, if reported at all.
Our Future: Expense monitoring
Real-time alerts for budget overruns, enabling correction before expenses accumulate and snowball.
Audits
The Past: Infrequent, unhelpful audits
Annual compliance audit of the financial statements to satisfy state mandate – no “deep dive”; same independent audit firm for more than a decade.
Our Future: Frequent, targeted audits
Deeper, more frequent review of areas in the budget where overrun is most likely -- such as special ed, transportation, capital projects; rotation of the independent audit firm every three to five years.
Budgets
The Past: Vague budget categories
Budgets used lump sum categories that can hide overspending or underbudgeting.
Our Future: Detailed, line-item budgets
With more detail in the budget reports and presentations, it is harder to hide overspending or underbudgeting.
Project Planning
The Past: No forward thinking
Budget created year-to-year, with no forecast beyond one year.
Our Future: Multiyear projections
Budget forecasts will include salary, benefit and enrollment trends looking out three to five years for better planning.