08/21/2025 Berkeley Heights BOE Meeting Recap- Laura’s Notes
If I may take a brief moment, I would like to reflect before jumping into the 6-hour kick off to the 2025-26 school year BOE meeting… All in all, the meeting ran smoothly. I witnessed an Administrative team (Feltre, Marr, and even newly appointed BA Nicholson) working as a tag-team answering questions, and truly listening to concerns. The Administrators were...
Resident Pushes Back on “Our Hands Are Tied” Narrative — Holds Poage Accountable to Campaign Materials
In this video, Jacqueline Cinque does what we wish more residents would: hold the Council accountable to their own words. Imagine if every resident showed up to Council and BOE meetings this prepared. Imagine if every resident pushed back with the same level of scrutiny. Meanwhile, the Council rushed through a $3.5 million bond at warp speed for oddly specific...
08/21/2025 BHPSNJ BOE Agenda Notes- NJGPA Recovery, Policy Overhaul …Progress with Caution
NJGPA Presentation In English Language Arts, readiness was 95.5% in 2023 , dropped to 87.3% in 2024 , then recovered to 93.8% in 2025. Math took the bigger hit, falling from 82.0% in 2023 to 72.3% in 2024 , with more than one in four juniors flagged as not on track. By 2025, math came back hard to 86.5% ,...
Another Marathon BOE Meeting Reveals Clear Lines Between Board Factions
Laura’s Notes on the 06/26/2025 BHPSNJ BOE Meeting Another marathon BOE meeting underscored the growing divide between Team Stanley/Bradford and Team Akiri/Foregger, while Khanna, Dillon, Joly, and Terrero continued making efforts to work with everyone—balancing collaboration with accountability. The public portion of the meeting didn’t begin until around 8:45 PM, nearly 75 minutes behind schedule. Mrs. Bradford opened the session...
Berkeley Heights Administration Stuffs Referendum, Contracts, and Big Decisions Into One Quiet Meeting — Again
John’s Notes on the 06/26/2025 BHPSNJ BOE Agenda Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this article indicated that the BA Salary was prorated – that was incorrect. The salary listed is the annual salary. On June 26th, the Berkeley Heights Board of Education is set to hold one of its most packed — and least transparent — meetings of the...
Laura’s Notes on the 06/05/2025 BHPSNJ BOE Meeting
While the June 5 “regular business” portion of the BOE meeting was arguably the shortest in recent memory, it also went the latest—slipping past midnight and potentially violating OPMA by extending into the early hours of Friday morning. The evening began with a lovely reception honoring Educators of the Year, retirees, and student representatives. But immediately after, the Board entered...
New Superintendent, Same Misinformation Problem at BHPSNJ- John’s Notes on the 06/05/2025 BOE Meeting
I’ll start by saying: Shauna should really be writing this. But she’s off at some scouting thing doing good deeds or something, so you’re stuck with me. We can both be annoyed about this together. Last month, district leadership told the community that a new state bill might bring an end to cooperative purchasing. That claim became the backdrop for...
Laura’s Notes on the 06/05/2025 Berkeley Heights BOE Meeting
Thursday’s Board of Education meeting will be one of the more heartfelt ones of the year. It’s when the District and community formally recognize and celebrate the educators who’ve gone above and beyond—and say farewell to some of our most dedicated staff as they head into retirement. Among this year’s retirees are longtime Principal Jessica Nardi and Supervisor Laurie Scott,...
A Closer Look at Claims of Legal Risk to Public Purchasing Co-Ops
During the May 15th meeting of the Berkeley Heights Board of Education, (former) Business Administrator Anthony Juskiewicz made mention of a bill that was introduced recently in the New Jersey Assembly that would affect Cooperative Purchasing Agreements. Mr. Juskiewicz said that unions and lobbyists have “put a bill forth out there that they don’t want these co-ops using trades.” According...
BHPSNJ Driver Stands Up: Raises Red Flags About Contracts, Scheduling, and Outsourcing
In the clip below, Tamar Their — a district bus driver — shares her concerns about inconsistencies between contract terms and BHPSNJ’s union agreement. Hired in March 2024 as a driver, she points to a strong safety record, consistent availability, and great relationships with students and staff. According to Tamar, the role she was hired for was never clearly defined....
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