Candidate Statements, Endorsements, and Your Role in the 2025 Elections
With the election fast approaching, we want to clarify NJ21st’s approach to the 2025 campaign season. We’ve reached out to all declared candidates running for office (contested races) in the 21st Legislative District and invited them to use our platform in sharing substantive candidate statements. Dunellen and Middlesex Borough Candidates email addresses weren’t available so we submitted OPRA requests to...
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...
BOE Members Respond to Questions on Facility Concerns
As a follow-up to questions connected to facilities, NJ21st received responses from two BOE Members: Sai Akiri Hi John, Thank you for your email. Your concerns about the long-overdue facilities repairs and the urgency of addressing them are well-founded, and I completely support the call for actions that are well-planned and swift. You raise important points about the availability of...
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...
Berkeley Heights BOE Public Comments on Controversial SLEO Contract (Video)
At the latest Board of Education meeting, an addendum to the contract for SLEO’s (a jobs program for retired police officers) sparked significant discussion. Unlike other districts, this agreement includes no cap on spending and places the burden of sick time and overtime costs squarely on the District. Public comments featured insights from the Town Administrator Liza Viana, NJ21st contributor...
BHPSNJ Response to Resident Concerns on Facilities, Data Breach, BOE President and Audit
In response to Mr. Leblond’s Letter to the District on Facilities, the Data Breach and BOE President: From Ms. Akiri: Thank you for reaching out, Mr.Leblond. I share your concerns regarding the PowerSchool data breach. I have contacted the district administration to request a detailed review of the specific information stored in PowerSchool for Berkeley Heights Public Schools (BHPSNJ). Obtaining...
Is It Time for the District to Re-Evaluate Its Services from a Politically Entangled Municipal Government?
The current Agenda for the next BOE Meeting includes an SLEO Contract Amendment. In Berkeley Heights, the District pays the full $37.45 per hour for each Special Law Enforcement Officer (SLEO), and now the township is asking the District to divert even more funds from classrooms to cover additional costs like sick time and overtime pay along with an increase...
Considerations for Selecting a BOE President
For the second year in a row, the Berkeley Heights Board of Education has been unable to agree on election of a member to serve as BOE President. Last year County Superintendent Daryl Palmieri chose Gale Bradford for the position. With the choice in his hands again this year, a look at the tenure of Mrs. Bradford over the year...
Controversial Ballot Bill Passes Assembly Committee – Working Families Party Mobilizes with Petition
The Assembly Select Committee on Ballot Design has fast-tracked a contentious bill, introduced in response to a federal court decision, that has drawn significant criticism from good government groups. Introduced just a day before the vote, the bill’s amended version was only read aloud just before the vote took place. Critics have raised concerns over the rushed process and the...
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