A prior version of this article incorrectly indicated that the year to year increase on security spending was 62%, this is incorrect- that actual percentage is 42% from the 2023-2024 actual amount. (04/24/2025)

How budget opacity, inflated security costs, and stalled academic progress are failing our students.

In both 2023 and 2024, I was able to secure the line item budget through persistence and public pressure. This year, however, things took a turn.

Let’s start with the facts.

• On April 6, 2025, I submitted an OPRA request to the District’s Custodian and Business Administrator requesting a copy of the line item budget. This document is critical to understanding the specific expenditures that roll up into the broader, and sometimes suspicious, categories—like the ones Laura flagged in her recent article.

• On April 8, 2025, I received a PDF of the Advertised Budget, which lacks the necessary detail. It does not break down individual line items or connect them to the high-level budget categories in any meaningful way.

• From April 8 through April 23, I followed up multiple times via email. The only response I received was a puzzling note from the OPRA Custodian, essentially claiming that what I received was not the budget I requested—yeah…I know.

This is a district that has spent thousands fighting OPRA requests—and lost every single time. One case over legal billing transparency alone cost taxpayers a minimum of $34,000.

On April 23, 2025, I raised the issue directly with the Superintendent, reminding them that under New Jersey law, budget documents must be made available immediately. This isn’t optional—it’s a basic requirement of transparency.

And let’s not forget: BHPSNJ has a troubling history when it comes to budget integrity. We’ve seen:

• Improper fund transfers

• Unapproved consultant fees

• Raises issued through an improper process

• Legal expenses with no supporting ledgers or documentation

Security

Let’s take security spending as one example.

This year, the District proposes a 42% increase in security costs from the 2023-2024 ACFR. And last year, costs for School Law Enforcement Officers (SLEOs) and School Resource Officers (SROs) already spiked based on township invoices.

source:Township Invoices

Earlier this year, BOE members Akiri, Foregger, Joly, and Khanna challenged a proposal from the Mayor and Township Administrator that would have required the District to absorb 100% of police officer costs—including benefits. We reviewed contracts from other towns and found no similar agreements. Most share these costs and do not cover benefit time.

This comes on the heels of last year’s failed transportation program, where some families were charged $1,000 while others paid nothing—all to cover up the Township’s neglect of unsafe roads.

Now they want a blank check to fund their police budget. Why? What’s going on inside Township Hall that leads to such aggressive financial tactics?

Even though the BOE ultimately resisted the worst aspects of the contract, we’re still seeing security costs double from $130,000 to $260,000 in just one year.

source:ACFR

Questions I raised to the Board and Administration:

• Are these investments actually improving student safety?

• Who’s providing oversight for these rapidly rising costs?

• Could this money be better spent on academic support in Math, ELA, and Science?

• What measurable outcomes—if any—are we seeing from these security investments?

Let’s be clear: this isn’t just an opinion. The data is conclusive—there’s no consistent evidence that increased policing or surveillance in schools improves safety. In fact, many studies show the opposite.

Now parents are funding ID-scanning systems that the former Interim Superintendent piloted without Board approval. That program, launched quietly, has now become a full-fledged initiative in just months.

And still—no clear explanation has been provided for how any of this enhances student safety or addresses the very real academic challenges our students are facing, particularly at GLHS in Math and Science.

This is just one small part of the concerns Laura raised in her article earlier today in connection to the Budget- and these concerns were based only on the advertised budget.

Can we begin to understand why public access to the line item budget is important?

To add insult to injury, the promises of expanded tutoring services made earlier this year are not to be realized – card scanners and the Mayor’s priorities are far more important.

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