Top Belleville, Nutley School Stories for 2013

Belleville Schools Enact Major Security Upgrades 

The Belleville Public School District announced it has nearly finished a $2 million school security plan including armed safety officers and technological changes.  The district hired a director of school security. Within five weeks armed retired law enforcement officers were stationed in the district’s nine schools. The district installed telephones in classrooms with voicemail boxes for teachers. Belleville School Board Trustees and teachers are split on the effectiveness of the safety program. At a contentious October meeting, Belleville Education Association members vocalized their issues with the school’s security measures after and during a presentation by Trustee Joseph Longo. 

Belleville School Budget Voted Down, Three Win Board Seats 

Voters reject the budget's $272 tax increase by 66 votes, while two newcomers and one incumbent board member win uncontested three-year seats.

Belleville School Budget's $272 Tax Increase Sparks Anger 

The Belleville Board of Education passed the $63.5 million school budget, despite the board vice president screaming that voters should reject the spending increase.

Belleville Council Cuts School Budget Tax Levy by $760,000 

The Belleville Township Council to reduced the tax levy portion of the nearly $63 million 2013-14 school budget by $760,000, trimming the average household tax increase from about $270 to approximately $110, officials said. The council approved the cuts after the Board of Education approved a resolution to accept the amount without appealing to the county to restore all or part of the amount.

Nutley School Budget Passes 

The Nutley School Board passed its 2013-2014 budget unanimously following a brief public hearing on Monday night.  The budget raises taxes $57.19 for the average Nutley home for a total tax levy of $52,931,802. Including money from the special revenue with debt service funds, the school's total budget is just over $64 million. Superintendent of Schools Russell Lazovick said the money was slated in accordance with the board's strategic plan for the district, with the school making its largest investments in instructional resources, professional development, student information systems and performance tracking. 

Former Belleville Principal Sues School Board

Former School No. 5 principal Gabriel Nazziola, now a Belleville Middle School teacher, sued the school board, Northjersey.com, demanding that Nazziola be reinstated as principal and received back pay and seniority. The suit was the latest event in Nazziola’s years-long battle with the district over his former principal job. When he was released from his post as principal after one year on the job in 2011, he claimed he was pressured to support the reelection campaign of incumbent board members, was asked for political reasons to cancel a fundraiser benefiting a cancer-stricken student and was ordered to recommend specific individuals for teaching jobs.