The Montclair Public Schools superintendent is asking all community members to fill out a survey that the district says is crucial and will directly inform the development of the 2026-27 school budget.

It's an anonymous survey that asks what matters most, what investments should be protected and where could the district make trade-offs.

The topics include priorities for academic programs, staffing and services, as well as rankings of critical areas like curriculum, mental health, operations, arts, athletics, and technology.

Superintendent Ruth Turner says participation is vital to shape the year ahead for Montclair's students.

The survey is open now and will close on Jan. 30, at 5 p.m.

This comes as the district will likely have to raise taxes to fix its nearly $20 million budget gap.

The district will hold a special election in March.

A vote was supposed to take place earlier this week, but a judge called it off - saying the ballot questions were confusing.

The questions are now being revised.

In the meantime, the district plans to move forward with the staffing cuts they announced in October.