new jersey state monitors:
What we know & what we don’t know
February 12, 2026
With a special election coming up on March 10, Montclair voters need clarity on the consequences of an appointed State Monitor. This Explainer seeks to distinguish what we know from what we don’t about State Monitors. Clarifying this is challenging; beyond the State law that creates State Monitors, there is virtually no official information about them from the New Jersey Department of Education (DOE).
This Explainer covers over 25 topics relating to State Monitors, including their authority, powers, and purpose; oversight and standards governing them; State Monitors’ role with respect to school district officials; key issues like property taxes, instruction, and school busing; mechanics of a monitorship; and the impacts and success of monitorships. Through MPACT’s exhaustive research of publicly-available information and careful analysis of the law, MPACT identified a long list of unknowns regarding State Monitors that have significant implications for residents.
MPACT’s findings discuss:
State Monitors’ broad authority and its potential limits.
The State DOE’s lack of evidence, reports, or analysis that would help voters understand how a State Monitor would exercise their authority, and the lack of State oversight of their monitor program.
State Monitors’ responsibility with respect to academics, long-term deficit issues, and their qualifications.
Key issues related to who pays for their monitor, checks on monitors, and their duration.
MPACT concludes with a series of recommendations for action at the State level to improve oversight, understanding, and effectiveness of State Monitors.