Montclair Voters Might Decide Future Of School Board In November

MONTCLAIR, NJ — Should members of the Montclair Board of Education be elected, or appointed by the mayor? That question – which has been causing debate in the town for years – may be up to local voters to decide this November.

Recently, Vote Montclair reported that its members have successfully gathered enough signatures on a petition to place a referendum on the general election ballot this year (read the full proposed question below).

Barring any legal challenges, the referendum will appear on the Nov. 2 ballot in Montclair. It would also add two more members to the board, for a total of nine members.

Montclair Councilman Peter Yacobellis congratulated the group for running a “well-executed effort.”

“This is a very complex, serious and historical issue, and I hope that Montclair residents truly take the time to understand the arguments and make educated decisions,” Yacobellis said. “To that end, I've been in conversation with several organizations and individuals in town in hopes of ensuring we can produce debate and educational forums this fall.”

“I also hope all Montclair residents make sure they are registered to vote and have a plan to vote to ensure that each and every voice is heard on this matter,” Yacobellis said, adding that he hasn’t personally taken a position on the issue yet.

Montclair's volunteer school board is appointed by the mayor, as opposed to being elected – an increasing rarity among local governments and school districts.

Some critics have charged that the process leaves too much power in the hands of the mayor, including in Montclair, where current mayor Sean Spiller also serves as the president of the New Jersey Education Association, one of the most powerful teacher unions in the state.

Spiller made three appointments to the board in April, choosing Crystal Hopkins, Eric Scherzer and Kathryn Weller-Demming as its newest members.

• See related article: Departing Montclair School Board Member Says Reform Is Needed

As written, the ballot question would read:

“Shall the Montclair Township School District be reclassified from a "Type l" School District, with members of the Board of Education appointed by the mayor, to a "Type II" School District, with members of the Board of Education elected by Township voters during regularly-scheduled annual November elections, with dissolution of the appointed Board of School Estimate, pursuant to N.J.S.A. 18A:9-4?”

An interpretive statement that accompanies the question would read:

“If a majority of voters vote yes, the change from a Type I School District to a Type II School District would mean that voters would elect members to the Montclair Township Board of Education. The Board of Education would change from a seven-member Type I board appointed by the mayor to a nine-member Type II elected board. Each member would be elected to a three-year term, with elections for three members occurring during regularly-scheduled annual November elections starting the first November after passage of this referendum, and current members remaining until their terms expire. The conversion would eliminate the Board of School Estimate, have future bonding based on the credit of the district rather than the Township, and subject future bonding for capital projects and any operating budgets that exceed state caps on property tax growth to approval by public referendum. If approved, there will also be other minor technical changes required that are not set forth herein.”

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