CORRECTION! And an invitation

The BOE budget is not out! The user-friendly budget I linked in the newsletter is not the budget to be presented at the BOE meeting on Wednesday.

May 02, 2023

Hi! I’m your neighbor Mariana Horta, and this is a quick update to correct a mistake and invite you to tacos.

The BOE budget is NOT out. The budget hearing is still scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday, May 3. The meeting agenda is here. If you want to comment, please pay attention to the budget presentation (item G on the agenda), which will be before public comments (item N).

The User-Friendly Budget I shared yesterday does not reflect the budget they will present tomorrow. Both this budget and the preliminary budget presentation reflect the preliminary budget that the BOE was required to send to the state—the one with a $7.5 million deficit.

After sending the preliminary budget to the state, members of our BOE entered a collaborative process with the MEA and the principals’ union to find ways to minimize cuts of instructional staff. Unfortunately, there will still be cuts because most of the budget of every school system is staffing. However, the budget they will present tomorrow is the result of this collaborative process and a good-faith effort by all parties to minimize staffing cuts and prioritize classroom instruction.

There is undoubtedly a backward process where the budget will be shared publicly only after it is approved on May 15th. This is not a choice the BOE made. I’m told it’s part of the many state rules they must follow. They can only share the budget once it is approved.

Tacos at my place tonight, from 7 pm to 9 pm. I’m hosting a meet and greet for Peter Yacobellis. I am super excited to host Peter so we can ask him many questions about the vision zero task force, the budget, the fire department, gas-powered leaf blowers, Lackawanna, etc. What else would you ask about?

RSVP HERE!

This is NOT a fundraiser. The RSVP is free. It just allows us to cap the number of guests. I hope some of you will come despite this very last-minute invitation.

Coming up:

Montclair Board of Education Meeting--May 3, 6:30 pm in the George Inness Annex. Public hearing for the 2023-24 school budget.

Montclair Township Council Meeting--May 16, 7 pm, at 205 Claremont Ave.

Montclair PTA Council Meeting--May 16, 7 pm, on Zoom.

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Do you know anyone who may be willing to share their Montclair photos in this newsletter? I am a horrible photographer, and I would love to post someone else's photos here.