The fiscal crisis in Montclair’s schools has put Montclair’s Board of Education (BOE) under significant scrutiny and raised reasonable questions about whether the BOE’s oversight was sufficient to identify and respond to the trouble. This Explainer responds to these questions by identifying what good school board governance looks like, and how Montclair can implement this vision.

Montclair’s nine-member elected BOE has significant authority over policy, budget approval, hiring and evaluating the superintendent, and strategic planning. The BOE must ensure that it is putting student outcomes at the center of every decision. That comes with a built-in tension. Boards that cross into operational decisions or micromanagement undermine the superintendent’s authority, complicate accountability, and risk superintendent turnover. On the other hand, boards that are too deferential do not perform the oversight the public elects them to do. Getting this balance right is difficult. The recent crisis in Montclair Public Schools (MPS) suggests the BOE has, at times, leaned too far toward deference.

This Explainer closely examines the Montclair BOE: the laws and rules that govern them, past actions, and their policies and operations. It uses this examination to identify opportunities for improvement. It makes several key findings and recommendations. The Explainer’s recommendations are practical and geared toward giving the BOE guidance on how it can implement good governance principles.

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