From the Community

Principal letters
Community comments

Shared with Renaissance families, Oct. 10:

Dear Renaissance Families and Caregivers,

By now, Im going to assume everyone has seen Superintendent Turner’s message about the district’s significant budget deficit and the upcoming special election. (December) There’s no easy way to share this; the financial shortfall is unprecedented, and the impact WILL be devastating.

At Renaissance, we’re now facing the possibility of losing several key positions, including our counselor, nurse, curriculum support teacher, world language teacher, technology teacher, secretary, and security personnel. Although nothing has been finalized, the potential loss would have a profound impact on our small, close-knit community and day-to-day operations. In many instances, only one person fills each of those roles.

As I mentioned last night, please stay informed, attend meetings, and ask questions about the special election. Your voice and your vote matter. I know these circumstances will affect families differently, and I understand the emotions that come with them. All I ask is you remain involved and informed.

To better understand what’s at stake, I encourage you to research what happens when districts are placed under fiscal monitors or state control. In New Jersey, the state has taken over districts such as Jersey City (1989–2017), Paterson (1991–2021), Newark (1995–2020), Camden (since 2013), and Jackson (since 2024), and in each case, communities experienced years of lost local decision-making, program reductions, and slower recovery toward full autonomy.

I want to thank the many parents who’ve reached out with kindness and encouragement. In my 15+ years as an administrator, I have never felt something as intensely devastating as the potential impacts we are facing on our incredible students and team of educators.  These changes can take effect as soon as December 23, 2025. 

Our PTA president is already working to share accurate information and resources.

No matter what lies ahead, our dedication to your children will not change. That’s the Renaissance way and will remain so.

With appreciation and hope,
Maria Francisco, Renaissance Principal

Shared with Hillside families, Oct. 13:

Dear Hillside Parents, Caregivers, and Community:

Since I have been at Hillside, my focus has always been on protecting our magnet program and ensuring that our students continue to receive a rich, well-rounded educational experience. Hillside’s strength comes from its people, our dedicated staff, talented students, and supportive families, and it’s this community that makes our school so special.

As many of you have already heard from Superintendent Turner, the Montclair Public Schools are facing a serious budget crisis that will affect every school in our district. On December 9, 2025, a special election will be held where voters will decide on two important questions related to school funding:

Whether to approve an additional $12.6 million for the 2024–2025 school year to cover last year’s deficit.

Whether to approve an additional $7.6 million for the 2025–2026 school year to help stabilize next year’s budget.

If these questions do not pass, the district will be required to make significant reductions, including the elimination of more than 100 staff positions districtwide, as well as cuts to courtesy busing, sports, extracurricular activities, and clubs.

At Hillside, this could mean the loss of approximately 11 staff members, including key positions such as our counselor, nurse, technology teacher, world language teacher, paraprofessionals, and security officer and main office secretary. Each of these individuals plays an essential role in maintaining a safe, supportive, and well-rounded learning environment for our students. Losing these positions would have a direct and visible impact on class sizes, programming, and the daily support our children receive both academically and emotionally.

I encourage all families to:

Attend upcoming community conversations hosted by Superintendent Turner to learn more about the district’s financial situation.

Ask questions about what these proposed cuts could mean for Hillside.

Make a plan to vote YES in the special election on December 9, 2025.

No matter the outcome, please know that our commitment remains unwavering and we will continue to provide every student with a safe, nurturing, and high-quality educational experience.

Thank you for your continued partnership and advocacy for our students during this critical time.

With urgency and commitment,

Edwyn Acevedo

Hillside Elementary Principal

Shared with Hillside families, Oct. 10:

Dear Northeast Community,

At Back to School Night, I shared how deeply proud I am of the incredible sense of community we have built at Northeast. Together, we can accomplish anything—and through positive shared experiences, we continue to strengthen our bond. While the recent news about our district’s budget challenges is real and concerning, I firmly believe that our collective strength, compassion, and commitment will guide us through this moment.

The possibility of significant cuts has understandably left many of us feeling uneasy and uncertain. As your principal, I remain committed to being responsive to the needs of our community. Though I may not have all the answers, please know that I am here to listen to your concerns and to offer as much guidance and clarity as possible. It is natural to want to contribute to the decision-making process, and I plan to share opportunities for our community to engage meaningfully as we work toward a resolution together.

At its core, this situation impacts people. Families are faced with difficult decisions, staff may experience instability in their professional lives, and students may see changes to their school experience. No matter what the future holds, it is essential that we continue to care for one another, show empathy, and remain mindful of the humanity at the center of every decision.

Under the leadership of Superintendent Turner, the district is working diligently to ensure transparency and to take intentional steps toward restoring our district’s stability. These decisions are not easy, but I have always believed that the choices we make as educators—while not always popular—must be grounded in fairness and guided by what is best for students.

Please know that the Northeast staff and I are thinking of you as I know you are thinking about us. We are honored and grateful to be part of such a supportive and compassionate community.

The symbol of Northeast is the compass rose. Let us remember that when we feel lost, we can always look to our compass to guide us home—to Northeast.

Sincerely,

Joseph A. Putrino Jr., Ed. D.

Principal

Northeast School

Shared with Glenfield families, Oct. 10:

Dear Glenfield Families,

Montclair Public Schools is facing a serious budget shortfall. On December 9, 2025, there will be a special election where voters will decide on two questions related to school funding:

Whether to approve an additional $12.6 million for the 2024–2025 school year to cover the deficit from that year.

Whether to approve an additional $7.6 million for the 2025–2026 school year to stabilize next year’s budget.

If these questions do not pass, the district will be required to make significant reductions — including more than 100 staff positions, along with programs such as courtesy busing, sports, extracurricular activities, and clubs.

At Glenfield, this could mean the loss of approximately 11 staff members, including (Interventionists, curriculum support, counselor, nurse, secretary, technology teacher, world language teacher, security officer, etc.). Each of these positions plays an important role in maintaining a safe, supportive, and well-rounded learning environment for our students.

These reductions would have a direct impact on the student experience. They would affect class sizes, available programs, and the daily support that students rely on for both their academic and personal growth.

We encourage all families to:

Attend upcoming community conversations hosted by Superintendent Turner to learn more.

Attend Glenfield’s Town Hall on Tuesday, October 28th 6-8pm., and ask questions.

Most importantly, make your plan to vote YES in the special election.

No matter the outcome, our commitment remains the same: to provide every student with a safe, nurturing, and high-quality education. We appreciate your partnership and support during this critical time.

With urgency and commitment,

Dr. Frances A. Aboushi, Glenfield Principal

Shared with Bradford families, Oct. 10:

Dear Bradford School Families,

Montclair Public Schools is facing a serious budget shortfall. On December 9, 2025, there will be a special election where voters will decide on two questions related to school funding:

Whether to approve an additional $12.6 million for the 2024–2025 school year to cover the deficit from that year.

Whether to approve an additional $7.6 million for the 2025–2026 school year to stabilize next year’s budget.

If these questions do not pass, the district will be required to make significant reductions — including more than 100 staff positions, along with programs such as courtesy busing, sports, extracurricular activities, and clubs.

At Bradford School this could mean the loss of approximately thirteen staff members, including: 1 Operational Aide, 1 Restorative Justice Teacher, 1 School Counselor, 1 Nurse, 1 Secretary, 2 Curriculum Support Teachers, 1 Technology Teacher, 1 World Language Teacher, and 4 Paraprofessionals for Kindergarten. Further, staffing of both the Child Study Team and Related Services Providers may be impacted. Each of these positions plays an important role in maintaining a safe, supportive, and well-rounded learning environment for our students.

These reductions would have a direct impact on the student experience. They would affect class sizes, available programs, and the daily support that students rely on for both their academic and personal growth. Additionally, staff reassignments due to these reductions could potentially impact both non-tenured staff members and tenured staff members (based on seniority) who serve in other assignments. This includes homeroom teachers across grade levels.

We encourage all families to:

• Attend upcoming community conversations hosted by Superintendent Turner to learn more.

• Ask questions about what these cuts will mean for Bradford School.

• Most importantly, make your plan to vote YES in the special election.

No matter the outcome, our commitment remains the same: to provide each student with a safe, nurturing, and high-quality education. We appreciate your continued partnership during this critical time.With urgency and commitment,

Dr. Frank Sedita

Principal

POVs From the Community

  • “A $2,000 tax increase is approx. 0.0017% of the average value of a Montclair home. If a ‘school quality perception factor’ contributes just 1% towards the average Montclair home price, whether or not you are using the school system, we may be comparing over $10,000 home value put at risk vs. a $2,000 tax increase on average.”

    — community member

  • “Whoever can’t understand that the increase in tax is nothing compared to the dumpster dive their home value is about to take is… I CAN’T!!!”

    — community member

  • “Who will be 'local control' is my question - if the people that got us here, roll in the state monitors... Surely a top level objective should be a deep investigation into the alleged malfeasance, and a turnover of the boards finance committee”

    — community member

  • “I have exited anger phase and have moved into action.”

    — community member

  • "Half of Montclair's school nurses are on the termination list. Remaining nurses will have to cover multiple buildings. A school nurse is often the first responder when a child has a seizure, asthma attack, or severe allergic reaction to a food or bee sting. Seconds matter if your child needs an EpiPen or has low blood sugar, and a nurse's quick action could save their life. Every student deserves a safe school - not just those who happen to attend one of the few buildings left with a dedicated nurse. Without enough nurses, schools could have long gaps where no licensed medical professional is onsite. If untrained staff are asked to give insulin or respond to a seizure, it puts both the child and the district at legal risk. When nurses are available, attendance improves and teachers can teach instead of managing health crises. Without a nurse, more kids will go home unnecessarily - and parents will get called away from work. School nurses keep everyone's kids safer, healthier, and in school. We understand budgets are tight - but replacing nurses with untrained staff doesn't save money when emergencies, lawsuits, or parent backlash follows."

    — community member

  • “I’m voting yes because I worry about what the cuts will do to children and because I care about the people who will lose their jobs, who are not the people who should be losing their jobs. But a lot of people should be losing their jobs and we should know why they are not.”

    — community member

  • “The biggest problem with all of this is confidence and trust. I think most people would be willing to say yes to #1 to get us out of this mess and just want to know that #2, $7.6 will keep their kids in their schools with normal things like art, music, librarians, clubs, working bathrooms, and all the special needs supports. THEN, we will somehow trust the BOE and Turner to restructure and find savings so we can make improvements along the way annually without ending up right back where we are in a couple years. This is what I keep thinking about and am hearing everywhere.”

    — community member

  • P1 "Like so many in this town, and with two children in the public school system, I’m deeply worried about the repercussions of the MPSD budget deficit. I agree that this is a time to band together and find solutions as a community, and I’m heartened by the engaged, caring, and thoughtful residents who have stepped up to ask hard questions and participate in this process. I concur with the serious concerns about the possibility of a state fiscal monitor and have heard about the negative experiences of school districts that have had one imposed."

    — Renaissance & MHS parent

  • P2 I’m frustrated, however, by a lack of acknowledgment of the inherent economic inequity perpetuated by a flat-percentage, proportional property tax. Yes, the amount of a property tax increase will differ by a home’s assessed value. You write, "we're all feeling the pinch," as if that is the same pinch... But the significance of that percentage tax and the financial strain felt by residents of different economic classes will be far from equal. For an owner of a $3 million home, $10,000 is a large sum to pay, a sacrifice, but would mean foregoing a luxury expense for that year. For an owner of a home assessed at $300,000, or for a renter facing rent increases, $1,000 more for the year will cut into affording basics. When we’re talking about stripping the school system of anything that is not “core academics”, we must recognize that $1,000 extra in property taxes for those families already stretched living in Montclair means they won’t afford out-of-school tutoring and music lessons for their kids, either. Know that when you’re asking for a fixed-rate property tax increase, you’re asking to put a disproportionate burden on your lower-income neighbors."

    — Renaissance & MHS parent

  • Thank you, thank you, thank you for coming to gather so quickly and creating this site and mission. I am a “soon to be”, but currently non-tenured teacher at Bradford School teaching 2nd grade who will likely get a termination letter Nov 1. I love my job with all of my heart and my day-to-day support and impact on my students. I am devastated to think I may lose this coveted and cared for teaching position - through no fault of my own. Thank you for creating this site and standing up for teachers.

    — community teacher

  • P3 "Why can’t we find another tax system (a sales tax, a restaurant tax, a luxury tax?) that would remedy this inequality? It is so frustrating that this crisis has created a situation where there is no time to find creative and more just alternatives in the rush to save our schools. In the meantime, some of us are asking, can we afford to live here at all? I don’t have the solution to this very difficult equation. I don’t mean to undermine the laudable efforts to forge a path forward in our budget crisis; I do believe we should all pitch in to help. I just want to bring this town’s economic inequalities into focus in this discussion."

    — Renaissance & MHS parent

We’re all feeling the pinch.

Send us a message and tell us what you think, so we can share it here with the community. Let us know if you’d like to remain anonymous or not.

Let’s be respectful – comments targeting any specific school or subset of students will not be posted. This is about how our entire town will be impacted by this issue.

Comments shared here have been approved for posting by the people who made them.