No Names, No Budgets: Transparency Continues to Erode Under Feltre
When people ask for answers from their local government, they have a right to get them—clearly, directly, and without delay. That’s the whole idea behind New Jersey’s Open Public Records Act (OPRA). But in Berkeley Heights, trying to get even basic information from the public school district has turned into an exercise in frustration: dodged questions, generic email replies, and...
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...
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....
Laura’s Notes on the 05/15/2025 BHPSNJ BOE Meeting Agenda
Overview Appointment of Assistant Superintendent Dr. Crystal Marr has been appointed Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, and Student Achievement, with a salary of $183,500 effective July 1, 2025. Dr. Marr hasn’t been with the District long, but like Dr. Feltre and Dr. Cordero, she’s already made an impression by showing up—at our schools, at student events, and in the community....
Laura’s Notes on the 04/24/2025 BHPSNJ BOE Meeting
Budget! The April 24 BOE meeting was primarily scheduled to vote on the final adoption of the 2025–26 budget. However, it opened with a lengthy presentation on the results of the recent referendum survey. The budget passed with minimal discussion. The Business Administrator (BA) gave the exact same presentation he delivered back in March — the one that was largely...
More Notes on Security Spending – 25-26 BHPSNJ Budget
Over the last three school years, security spending in the Berkeley Heights Public Schools has ballooned — far exceeding original budget estimates while state aid has remained flat. What the Numbers Show 2023–2024: The District budgeted $214,000 for school security but ended up spending $260,396, according to the official ACFR (Annual Comprehensive Financial Report). That’s a 22% overrun in a...
Budget Withheld, Questions Unanswered
A prior version of this article incorrectly indicated that the year to year increase on security spending was 62%, this is incorrect- that actual percentage is 42% from the 2023-2024 actual amount. (04/24/2025) How budget opacity, inflated security costs, and stalled academic progress are failing our students. In both 2023 and 2024, I was able to secure the line item...
Laura’s Notes on the 04/24/2025 Berkeley Heights BOE Meeting Agenda -Budget and Policies
Let’s hope this meeting stays focused and free of unnecessary theatrics. Many have questioned why the Board scheduled this meeting at Governor Livingston High School to coincide with a GL concert. Whether this was an oversight or an intentional move to suppress attendance remains unclear—but the optics haven’t gone unnoticed. Superintendent’s Report: Referendum Survey Results The Superintendent is expected to...
Correction to BOE presentation: Governor Livingston HS SAT Scores Rank Last of Seven Neighboring Districts
Berkeley Heights BOE presentation contradicts scores reported directly from the state -Written by a non-politically connected Educator in the Community At the March 18th, 2025 Berkeley Heights Board of Education (BOE) meeting, Interim Assistant Superintendent of Schools Mr. Dirk Phillips presented a report on district test scores from the 2023-24 school year including Advanced Placement (AP), PSAT, and SAT. Video...
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...
nj21st.com (with the exception of featured images and logo) is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
