West Orange School Business Administrator on Paid Leave After $13. 5M Deficit
The West Orange school business administrator has been placed on paid administrative leave, district officials confirmed in response to a public records request from Montclair Local.
West Orange High School. The school district said last week that Business Administrator Tonya Flowers was placed on paid administrative leave May 25. (MATT KADOSH/MONTCLAIR LOCAL)The West Orange school business administrator has been placed on paid administrative leave, district officials confirmed in response to a public records request from Montclair Local. The district said last week that it placed Tonya Flowers on paid administrative leave May 25. District officials did not explain Flowers’ leave. And it remained unclear if her absence is related to the school district’s multimillion-dollar deficit. “Ms. Flowers has been placed on paid administrative leave,” DeShawn Johnson, executive assistant in the district’s business office, wrote. “The district cannot share any other information with respect to this confidential personnel matter at this juncture. ”During the board’s June 16 meeting, West Orange Superintendent Hayden Moore introduced the district’s assistant business administrator in place of Flowers. “I would like to welcome Ms. Trenae Lambkin, who has been our assistant business administrator, and is now our acting business administrator and our board secretary in the absence of Ms. Tonya Flowers,” Moore said. West Orange School District Superintendent Hayden Moore, center, during the board’s June 16, 2026, school board meeting. At right is school board president Brian Rock. (MATT KADOSH/MONTCLAIR LOCAL)Moore did not answer emails or phone messages from Montclair Local seeking an update on Flowers on June 4 or on July 7. Parallels to MontclairUnanswered questions about the school district’s financial management have drawn comparisons to neighboring Montclair. There, a school deficitrose to $19. 6 million. The prior school business administrator, Christina Hunt,resigned in July 2025. And Hunt secured a new jobleading the business officefor the Penns Grove – Carnys Point Regional School District. According to the West Orange district, Flowers’ annual salary is $206,010. She previously taught mathematics in the schools, the district said. The schools email server returned an email from Montclair Local to Flowers’ district account as “undeliverable” on June 4. And efforts to reach Flowers at a publicly listed phone number were not successful. District DeficitThe leadership change comes after the district grappled with a $13. 5 million deficit in its 2026-27 spending plan,NJ. com reported. The deficit came amid the elimination of 77 staff positions and the outsourcing of paraprofessional services, the news report said. It also comes after the district’sfinancial auditfor the year ending June 30, 2025, revealed the Internal Revenue Service fined the district for its handling of federal payroll tax deductions. Audit Report“Our audit indicated that payroll deductions for employee federal tax withholdings were not promptly remitted to the IRS for a June 2025 pay period,” the audit states. “As a result, the district has been assessed penalties of $78,784. ”The audit found the district did not remit employee withholdings for pension contributions for prior year retroactive salary payments to the state, the report says. “In addition, the district has reported a liability for amounts due resulting from delayed enrollments of employees into the pension system,” the auditors state. And the auditors reported that the district did not reconcile its general ledger and bank account balances monthly, resulting in “significant year-end audit adjustments to ensure accurate cash balances” in district records. On June 16, one parent was among the people to seek more information about the leadership change. There is a growing lack of trust in the schools, Erin Assenza, the mother of two children in the district, told the school board. And the apparent departure of the school business administrator has reinforced those concerns as speculation circulated, Assenza said. Information Gap“We’ve heard everything from resignation to termination to investigations involving from outside agencies,” Assenza said. “Whether any of these rumors are true is not the point. The point is that parents and taxpayers have been left with no clear information, creating a vacuum that has been filled by speculation. ”Who’s reporting on Essex County? We are. Get the news that matters — for free in your inbox. The business administrator plays a critical role in the financial management of the school district, she said. “Given the budget challenges we face, and the community’s ongoing request for transparency and accountability, it is reasonable for residents to have questions about a leadership change in such an important position,” Assenza said. The school board’s president, Brian Rock, answered. “We cannot comment on personnel issues, but we can say there is no investigation,” Rock said at the meeting. “Any claims or rumors to the otherwise are unfounded and irresponsible. ”West Orange Police Chief Matthew Feula said the department had no records of an arrest involving Flowers. And Essex County Prosecutor’s Office spokesperson Carmen Martin said the office has no investigations involving Flowers. Matt KadoshReporterMontclair LocalMatt Kadosh is an award-winning reporter with a focus on local government, education and public safety. He fills information needs and seeks solutions with rigorous reporting. More by Matt Kadosh