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...
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...
The BHPSNJ BOE Must Remain Focused on the Budget
We received confirmation from BOE Vice President Dipti Khanna, reinforcing what our sources within the Municipal Government have been telling us all along. The CMS Lease Agreement unexpectedly appeared on the same agenda as the Budget, prompting us to reach out to Dr. Feltre, Ms. Bradford, and Ms. Khanna for clarification. Below is a breakdown of Ms. Khanna’s response: “On...
Leadership Under Pressure: How Five BOE Members Stepped Up
Laura’s Notes on the 02/27/2025 BOE Meeting The concerns I raised in my agenda summary—politically motivated Board appointments and a questionable committee structure—were on full display at the February 27, 2025, BOE meeting. The comments and behavior in the room only reinforced these issues. It’s often said that if you want to see someone’s true intentions, put them under pressure...
What is Gale Bradford Thinking?
Pam Stanley Slated for Vote as Finance Chair Following NJ21st’s initial OPRA request for documents previously provided to community members under OPRA, a correspondence was revealed from a BHPS employee—whose name has been redacted—to the Board President and Acting Superintendent, urging action on a matter of concern. In this correspondence, a teacher alleges that Ms. Stanley willfully violated the Code...
Laura’s Notes on the 02/27/2025 BOE Meeting Agenda
ANNUAL APPOINTMENTS Approval of Annual Committee Appointments Each Board of Education (BOE) member has been assigned to chair one committee and serve as a representative on two others, ensuring that each member is involved in three committees in total. This structure is logical and equitable. However, when it comes to liaison appointments, fairness seems to take a backseat. BOARD...
The Ongoing Issues with the BHPSNJ Business Office & Recent Audit Findings
John’s Notes on the 01/28/2025 BOE Agenda For years, families in Berkeley Heights Public Schools (BHPSNJ) have expressed frustration with the Business Office, citing a lack of transparency, accountability, unprofessional behavior and political partisanship. These concerns existed before Dr. Varley’s tenure, but they worsened significantly under her leadership and have not improved with the addition of the current Business Administrator...
More on the BHPSNJ Business Administrator’s Inaccurate OPRA Report to the Berkeley Heights BOE
The Following was an email sent by NJ 21st to the Berkeley Heights BOE on the Business Administrators Inaccurate Public Comments on OPRA Requests (typos corrected): “We have already written about the Business Administrators inaccurate accusation concerning the OPRA log and our concerns that what ought to be a standard baseline job requirement is being outsourced to attorneys. This email pertains to...
Collaboration or Dictatorship? | Laura’s Notes on the 01/27/2025 BOE Meeting
Collaboration or Dictatorship? With Policy 0155 clearly stating—confirmed by the Board Attorney—that Standing Board Committees remain intact, it’s difficult to justify Mrs. Bradford’s decision to appoint six ad hoc committees at the 1/27 Board Meeting as her first order of business. The BH Board of Education operates as a Board of Committees, where the real work happens within committees before...
Distortions of Truth at the Berkeley Heights BOE Meeting
Shauna’s Notes of the 01/27/2025 BOE Meeting The Union County Superintendent, Daryl Palmieri again selected Gale Bradford to fill the role of President of the Berkeley Heights Board of Education, and the meeting opened with Mrs. Bradford sharing a directive given by Mr. Palmieri that the board work together. A relatively straight-forward vote elected Dipti Khanna to the position of...
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