State Monitor Removed From Belleville Schools, Officials Cheer For 'Historic Victory'

BELLEVILLE, NJ — That’s a wrap for the state monitor in Belleville.

On Tuesday, Belleville Board of Education Trustee Luis Muñiz shared a letter from the New Jersey Department of Education to Thomas Egan, who has been serving as the state-appointed monitor to the district for the past decade.

The letter – dated June 18 – serves as formal notification that Egan’s appointment as state monitor to the Belleville School District is terminated. The decision took effect Monday.

The New Jersey Department of Education assigned a state monitor to oversee the financial operations of the Belleville school district in 2014 after a review of the district’s required financial audit revealed serious flaws. Belleville received a loan as part of the deal to help it climb out of the financial hole.

The state monitor has intervened in several decisions involving Belleville schools in the recent past.

Egan’s most recent involvement in the district involved the 2025-2026 budget. The school board voted 6-1 against the administrations proposed spending plan, which includes a tax increase of $126 for the average homeowner. However, Egan chose to use his authority to override the board’s vote, approving the administration’s budget – and the accompanying tax increase.

• See Related: State Monitor Makes Decision On Belleville School Budget

Some local residents, administrators and officials have been pushing for the district to take back its sovereignty over the past few years.

Muñiz announced some new business that wasn’t on the agenda at the board’s meeting in May: a resolution that authorizes a letter from the trustees to the state commissioner of education.

Over the past decade, the Belleville Public School District has demonstrated that it has addressed its “weaknesses” involving internal control of its finances, the resolution claimed, calling for state education officials to return local control of the district’s finances.

Muñiz thanked Egan for his work over the past decade, saying that he has been “instrumental” in passing many initiatives in the district.

“Whether you prefer to have Mr. Egan here or you don’t, the reality is that he’s been a major asset to this community,” Muñiz said.

Egan commented on Belleville’s current financial situation at the meeting.

“We have enough money to get through the end of the year without going into deficit – we’re in good shape financially,” the state monitor said.

• See Related: Belleville Schools Don’t Need State Monitor, Board Of Education Claims

The removal of the state monitor is a “historic victory” for the township, according to Tuesday’s announcement from the BetterBelleville School Board Slate.

“This is a moment of celebration—not just for our board, but for every student, parent, educator, and resident of Belleville,” Muñiz wrote. “It is a testament to the dedication, transparency, and hard work that have brought us to this turning point.”

“Let us now move forward with renewed purpose,” he added. “Together, we will continue to build a school district that is safe, desirable, and high-achieving—the kind of district every child and family deserves.”

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