A Disturbing Abuse of Power: How the Berkeley Heights BOE Budget Meeting Became the Mayor’s Playground
I’ll keep this short. For years, parents have asked the District to adjust the rotate-and-drop schedule to allow for core classes like math to be taught every day. During the February 14 Math presentation, Dr. Curtiss shared that tutoring support could be available—but only if the District chose and funded one of the new proposed math approaches. That left many...
Parent Acknowledges Improvements in Communication and Student Activities
The Following email to the Superintendent and the Board was received from Michael Leblond who is a resident of Berkeley Heights and a parent with children in our School District. Dear Dr. Feltre and members of the School Board, For a person to have credibility, they must be willing to acknowledge and highlight positive experiences and improvements instead of only...
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...
John’s Notes on the 03/18/2024 BOE Meeting-Turf Field and Budget
The Board of Education (BOE) was placed in an impossible situation last night by the Mayor and the Recreation Department. A room packed with residents that had only been exposed to the Mayor’s version of events, thanks to what we now know were fabricated rules regarding contract negotiations—where confidentiality seemingly only applies when it suits the Mayor – who apparently...
If Given the Choice, Would Private Schools Really Be A Better Deal for Berkeley Heights?
Given the high per-pupil cost of Berkeley Heights Public Schools (BHPSNJ) and ongoing discussions about declining enrollment despite rising expenses, I wanted to end the 2025 Budget series by seeing how BHPSNJ stacks up against private schools in terms of cost. I selected five private K-8 schools and five private high schools to compare their tuition costs with BHPSNJ’s reported...
Laura’s Notes on the 03/18/2025 BOE Meeting Agenda: The Budget
This Board meeting should focus primarily on the Budget. This is the first opportunity the members we elected will deliberate and discuss how to allocate our tax dollars to make the most beneficial impact for our students, their education and for our dedicated staff. REPORT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT AP/SAT/PSAT Presentation REPORT OF THE BUSINESS ADMINISTRATOR Preliminary Budget Adoption There are...
2025 7-District Budget Dashboard in Pictures Part Six: Athletics, Co-Curricular, Textbooks and Educational Media Services
Athletics, Co-Curricular, Textbooks and Educational Media Services Per Pupil Cost Break Down for Berkeley Heights, Chatham, New Providence, Summit, Millburn, Madison, and Westfield Part Six of our effort to break down the 7-District Budget Dashboard in supporting residents of Berkeley Heights, Chatham, New Providence, Summit, Millburn, Madison, and Westfield provide more informed feedback to their Boards of Education during...
Progress Not Promises—BHPSNJ Needs Real Budget Reform
Fix the Budget Before Marketing the Referendum or Giving Away School Resources For too long, consultants and so-called experts have profited from advising our community while delivering little to no meaningful results. The time for talk is over—we need real action. The BHPSNJ budget is bloated and mismanaged, with efforts to reform it met with obstruction, harassment, and public ridicule....
2025 7-District Budget Dashboard in Pictures Part Five: Facilities, Grounds and Custodial Services
Facilities, Grounds and Custodial Services Per Pupil Cost Break Down for Berkeley Heights, Chatham, New Providence, Summit, Millburn, Madison, and Westfield Part Five of our effort to break down the 7-District Budget Dashboard in supporting residents of Berkeley Heights, Chatham, New Providence, Summit, Millburn, Madison, and Westfield provide more informed feedback to their Boards of Education during the upcoming...
Dr. Feltre Responds to Community Questions on Lower Columbia Lease Agreement
This afternoon, Superintendent Dr. Feltre addressed the BHPS community regarding the pressing issue at hand: the Lower Columbia Land Lease Agreement. She emphasized the importance of careful deliberation, stating, “The field is a precious asset for which the Board has a responsibility. Certain practical and legal issues take time to resolve… any perceived delays stem from the Board taking its...
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