State blocks unusual contract of N.J. school district attorney paid over $6M

• Updated: Mar. 15, 2025, 11:14 a.m.

• |Published: Mar. 14, 2025, 2:54 p.m.

From NJ.Com

Michael Inzelbuch became Lakewood’s board of education attorney in 2017 and has since earned more than any other public school attorney in New Jersey, an investigation by the Asbury Park Press revealed last month. The details of Inzelbuch’s unusually high salary emerged as the district faces financial struggles. Lakewood recently received an emergency $65 million loan from the state after warning it was running out of money to pay teachers and staff this school year. Inzelbuch’s contract for the 2025-2026 school year was then denied by Lakewood’s state monitor, who cited funding concerns and a lack of proper paperwork for the renewal, officials said. At Lakewood’s board of education meeting Thursday, board president Moshe Bender said the district disagreed with the state’s decision and plans to file a petition to challenge it this week.