NJ21st 04/13/2025 Newsletter
This week’s newsletter opens with an in-depth look at New Jersey’s special education data, comparing suburban and city districts to expose deep-rooted disparities and systemic inequities in educational outcomes. We then turn to the April 8th Berkeley Heights Town Council meeting, where the Township budget quietly passed with little scrutiny. Inside, you’ll find a detailed breakdown—plus explosive remarks from former...
Former Council Member Paul Donnelly Accuses Berkeley Heights of Code Violations & Permit Misconduct
Former Councilman Paul Donnelly confronts the Berkeley Heights Council over unresolved drainage issues linked to a neighboring property, alleging code violations, a fraudulent permit, and failure to enforce local ordinances. Tensions rise as he accuses officials of misconduct and questions why the matter is being dismissed as a civil dispute. Read More on Berkeley Heights Town Council Subscribe to NJ21st...
Quick Notes on the Berkeley Heights Municipal Budget-04/08/2025 Berkeley Heights Town Council Meeting
Overview Total Spending: $30.5 million (↓ $1.9M from 2024) Raised by Taxes: $17.0 million (↑ $715K from 2024) Surplus Used: $4.9 million (↑ $460K) Revenue: Property Taxes: 55% of the budget. Surplus (“Rainy Day Fund”): Usage up 10% this year. PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes): Up 258% to $2.15 million. These are payments from developers instead of traditional taxes...
NJ21st 04/06/2025 Newsletter
This week’s newsletter is packed with new insights from 2024.We kick things off with our deep dive into the recently released NJ DOE School Performance Reports. This includes our brand-new 7-District Comparison Dashboard, an Interactive School Performance Explorer, and a comprehensive review of every school in the Berkeley Heights Public School District (BHPSNJ). Next, we unveil a major release: a...
NJ21st 03/23/2025 Newsletter
What’s Important to Know About Our Local & State Government This Week…. This week’s newsletter begins where the 03/18/2025 BHPSNJ Budget Meeting should have: the actual BHPSNJ budget. Instead, that meeting centered on a different topic—a turf field. Despite repeated claims of urgency, the project won’t be up for a vote until 03/25/2025—one full week after the budget meeting that...
NJ21st, Journalism and Ethics
Updated 05/02/2025 1. Truth & Accuracy “Evaluate the value of various sources of information.”We verify every article using public records, OPRA requests, and firsthand attendance at meetings. Even our Community Voices pieces go through this process. Fun fact: we were the only news outlet to submit OPRA requests to the District within the BHPSNJ Business Administrator’s most recent report. “Check...
Fear of Facts: A Response to Councilwoman Poage’s “Fake News” Claim
The March 18th council meeting served as yet another reminder of how some elected officials misuse their platforms to undermine fact-based journalism. Unfortunately, history repeated itself. Councilwoman Susan Poage followed this well-worn path, spinning legitimate reporting with a “fake news” narrative during Tuesday’s meeting. Yet, despite her grandstanding, she failed to cite a single instance of misinformation—because none existed. This...
The Facts They Won’t Print: What Hyperlocal Media Left Out On The Lease Agreement Articles
As our local hyper-local media outlet continues to push incomplete timelines and the false narrative that insurance issues were the reason the Mayor and the Recreation Department locked students out—we believe it’s important to set the record straight. Instead of a productive budget meeting focused on our students, the discussion devolved (yet again) into political theatrics driven by the Mayor’s...
Quick Notes on the 03/18/2025 BHPSNJ Budget and Student Performance Presentations
Budget Presentation: Academics and student achievement ranked as the top budget priority, with a notable investment in textbooks and software. However, during the math presentation at GLHS in February, parents were told that after-hours tutoring would be available. The District should clarify tonight whether this commitment remains in place, as families were led to expect this support. We also seek...
2025 7-District Dashboard Budget Comparisons- All The Articles
Breaking Down The 2025 7-District Budget Dashboard with Images Part One 2025 7-District Budget Dashboard in Pictures Part Two: Administrative and Legal Costs 2025 7-District Budget Dashboard in Pictures Part Three: Special Needs 2025 7-District Budget Dashboard in Pictures Part Four: Transportation and a Note on Special Needs 2025 7-District Budget Dashboard in Pictures Part Five: Facilities, Grounds and Custodial...
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