Jersey City Mayor James Solomon is calling on the board of education not to renew the contract of Superintendent of Schools Dr. Norma Fernandez at a special meeting tomorrow evening.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“On July 16, the Board of Education will meet in a special session to consider extending Superintendent Norma Fernandez’s contract — an earlier public notice indicated the extension would run all the way through 2031. I want to be frank about what a contract extension is. It is not a routine personnel item,” Solomon said in an email blast today.
“It is a vote of confidence in the district’s performance, in its finances, and in the future Jersey City Board of Education will create for our children. So, the most important question the Board must answer on July 16 is this: Do the results justify that confidence? The evidence says no.”
The mayor points to subpar test scores, noting that statewide, 53 percent of New Jersey students are proficient in English language arts, with 41 percent proficient in math, compared to 45 and 31 percent, respectively, in the Jersey City Public Schools.
Further, he highlights that the district’s high school graduation rate is about 14 points below the state average (91.3 percent vs. 77.7 percent).
“A district that cannot teach two-thirds of its children math, cannot get half of them reading on grade level, and cannot graduate its students at anything close to the state rate has not earned a five-year vote of confidence,” Solomon wrote.
The former two-term Ward E councilman also asserts that the Jersey City BOE has been financially irresponsible, with their burden on city taxpayers going up nearly $200 million since 2024, with school officials hiding what the annual tax increase is.
Solomon continues that their special education audit, which has not been made public since it has been referred to the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, should have been done years ago with more transparency.
“A district that takes three years to audit its most vulnerable students’ services and then hides the results has not earned a five-year extension for its primary leader,” he declared Wednesday.
He also applauds the Jersey City Parents for Accountability for starting an Action Network petition opposing a contract extension or renewal for Fernandez, as HCV first reported, which has 1,615 signatures as of 12:15 this afternoon.
“Are we, as a city, okay with mediocre schools that prioritize the financial security of adults over the academic excellence of our children? Are we okay with a system that raises taxes by double digits, year after year, with no honest public conversation and no accountability? Are we getting what we pay for?” Solomon questions.
“I don’t believe we are. I believe Jersey City is ready for a new direction, and that begins with having an honest conversation about the leadership of Jersey City Public Schools. In the meantime, the Board of Education should do the right thing: do not take any action on the contract until residents have a say.”
Fernandez received a three-year contract in June 2022, with a three-year extension that tops out at $341,200 approved in August 2024, which Solomon then panned for a “lack of transparency,” all as HCV first reported.
