{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/6753786ea8461f164e67bf3a/68c2d768d842f06200031642?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Montclair Schools' Budget Deficit: It's Worse Than We Thought. A New Interview with Superintendent Ruth B. Turner","description":"<p>In a frank and revealing interview on The Montclair Pod, Montclair's new schools superintendent, Ruth B. Turner, announced that the district’s financial deficit has swelled to approximately <strong>$18 million</strong>. The startling figure combines inherited debts with a newly discovered $4 to $5 million shortfall in the current budget. Compounding the crisis,&nbsp;Turner revealed that after a direct appeal for help, the <strong>Township of Montclair has declined to provide any financial support</strong> to the schools.</p><p>The interview, coming just two-and-a-half months into her tenure, casts a harsh light on the deep-seated fiscal and procedural issues plaguing a district that has struggled for years with leadership instability. </p><p><br></p><p>Be sure to subscribe to The Montclair Pod to be the first to listen to new episodes. Season 3 kicks off September 25 with a deeper look at the health of our schools.</p>","author_name":"Montclair Pod LLC"}