Superintendent Jonathan Ponds

Montclair Education Association has been excluded from budget process, union president says.

Judy Weston was a longtime Montclair resident and public school supporter.

Club leaders say many students, including themselves, feel desensitized to acts of hate.

The initiative is intended to help Buzz Aldrin students and staff to create a school-run No Place for Hate Committee.

A federal grant will help bridge the technology gap for Montclair school district students.

Over the last few months, parents reported at BOE meetings that their children were struggling with virtual learning and experiencing anxiety, stress and tantrums over not being able to see their teachers and friends in person. Parents of special-needs children said their children were especially challenged learning outside of the classroom. 

Also: The state is dropping graduation assessment tests this year.

Jan. 25 is when students in Pre-K through fifth grade and special needs students are expected to return, if health and safety conditions permit. Middle school and high school students are expected to return on Feb. 8.

As COVID cases in Montclair began to climb in mid-November, school district officials postponed the Nov. 16 and Nov. 30 reopenings and said they would reassess the opening timeline on Dec. 1. 

The forum’s theme, “Pandemic Platform,” covered how COVID-19 affects all aspects of life in the schools, both in the short and long term.