Curse of the PILOT
Bruce Paterson is a Resident of Garwood, NJ As an existing homeowner, the question arises why our property taxes continue to soar; especially after watching so many high-density luxury-rate residential complexes being built in the last 5-10 years. You can chalk it up to the “curse of the PILOT”. Although occurring statewide, we will look at our local area as...
Outgoing Berkeley Heights BOE Treasurer Raises Concern with Missed July–August Payment Authorization
Harold Kessler is the Treasurer of School Monies for the Berkeley Heights Board of Education My name is Harold Kessler and I have been the Treasurer of School Monies for the Berkeley Heights Board of Education for the past seventeen (17) years. It has been my honor to work for the Board of Education and report directly to the Board...
Medicaid Cuts, Forced Treatment…The Resurgent War on the Poor & What’s Coming for NJ’s Vulnerable
-John Migueis I’ve lived in New Jersey my whole life, and I’ve come to see this state as one strange neighborhood—a dysfunctional family, but still a family. With all it’s defects, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. I love NJ, I love saying I’m from NJ and I feel really fortunate to be able to raise my kids here....
Assigning the Right Person to the Right Role: Rethinking the Library Liaison
Assigning the role to an administrator would be more helpful for student literacy and summer reading assignments. -Written by an Educator in our District At the June 5th, 2025 Berkeley Heights Board of Education (BHBOE) meeting, Personnel agenda item M titled “Approve re-appointment of school district liaison to the library board,” which would have appointed the Berkeley Heights Public Schools...
Too Many Bosses, Not Enough Students – A Case for School District Unification in Union County
Consolidating two school districts would save on administrative costs, create curriculum alignment, and keep Mountainside students at Governor Livingston High School. -Written by an Educator in our District School district consolidation is an issue that has been studied at the state level in recent years. Currently, New Jersey has 590 school districts, which is more than the number of municipalities...
Statement from BOE Representative Sai Akiri on the June 26 resolution to submit plans to the State for Approval
The Board was asked to approve one step in the process toward a referendum during the June 26 meeting—specifically, to approve submission of the applications to the state for review. Let me be clear why I could not support this. In the past, I have said it may be better to discuss issues as a full Board versus our current...
Providing Complete Board Transparency by Modifying The “OPMA” Definition Of “Agenda”
Michael Gottesman is the Founder of New Jersey Public Education Coalition. This Contribution was written as a response to ‘Another Marathon BOE Meeting Reveals Clear Lines Between Board Factions‘ Throughout our state, as a result of the politicization of local Boards of Ed and major controversies being addressed at this time, BOEs have been making it increasingly more difficult for...
Oversight, Not Excuses: BOE Member Speaks Out on OPRA Mismanagement
Prior to publishing “No Names, No Budgets: Transparency Continues to Erode Under Feltre,” NJ21st reached out to all members of the Berkeley Heights Board of Education for comment. To date, only Ms. Bhargavi responded. Her full statement is published below. Thank you for reaching out and expressing your concerns about the Berkeley Heights school district’s OPRA request process. I’ve seen...
I Came Home. The VFW Helped Me Keep Serving.
Steve Mondragon is a resident of Berkeley Heights NJ I first enlisted in 1996 where I enlisted as an 11H Heavy anti-armor weapons crewman in the infantry, having completed Basic attaining at Fort Benning, GA in the NJ National Guard. While at Rutgers I discovered ROTC and what that program offered in terms of leadership opportunities and responsibilities. I graduated...
Berkeley Heights Resident Writes to Town Council On Continued Power Outages…Again
Michael Leblond is a resident of Berkeley Heights Dear Mayor Devanney and members of the Town Council, I am writing to express my growing concern regarding the frequent power outages in our community and their negative impact on daily life. As a fifteen year resident of Berkeley Heights, I believe it is essential that our local government addresses the ongoing...
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