Thank You
I’d like to say a heartfelt “thank you” to the Berkeley Heights community for your support. The fact that so many people turned out and voted in a contest that was seemingly a done deal means so much to me. The message of Education First! underpinned by transparency and accountability truly resonated with many. As a board member, I will...
What The New Berkeley Heights BOE Must Do In The First Three Months of 2024 To Rebuild Our District
A historically low turnout election still produced 2000+ votes, affirming change…..now what? While the BOE election was uncontested, the message was clear- the community wants things to change. While thousands were likely spent on the Town Council Election (something we will write about), it would be a surprise if the BOE candidates who garnered an overwhelming vote count given the...
Join me in Voting for Sai for Board of Education
– Daniel Bartiromo I met Sai Bhargavi Akiri Several years ago when running for Berkeley Heights Board of Education. Sai’s desire to learn about everyone she meets is enviable. Sai asks questions when others don’t. As a lifelong resident of Berkeley Heights, I have always been confident in the quality and curriculum structure within our schools…until recently. When I learned...
Board Goals – A Chance to Make a Positive Change
Shauna’s Notes on the 11/02/2023 Berkeley Heights BOE Meeting At a special meeting on November 2nd, the Berkeley Heights Board of Education met to set goals for themselves as a governing body. Attending were all board members except Joy Young, the interim Business Administrator, and New Jersey School Board Association (NJSBA) representative Patricia Rees. After an opening presentation by Ms....
Vote for Sai Bhargavi Akiri for BOE -Column 2
Accountability Matters -Lara Carbine There are many people we meet throughout our lives. Oftentimes we remember them for a special quality or event, or something they said or did that left a lasting impact on us. Teachers often come to mind. Or a special coach that pushed us to work harder and be better than we thought we could be. The same can be...
My Responses to TapInto- Part 1
Sai Bhargavi Akiri who is running for Berkeley Heights Board of Education, who has lived in Berkeley Heights for 11 years. -Sai Bhargavi Akiri Introduction Name: Sai Bhargavi Akiri # of years lived in town: 11 years What skills do you bring to the office? Work Experience As a Program Manager with 20 plus years of project management experience in strategy and...
2024 Niche “Best School Districts in New Jersey” Released
Berkeley Heights Public Schools bottoms out in local seven-district data dashboard but ranks highly statewide. -Written by an Educator in the Community Niche has released their “2024 Best School Districts in New Jersey” rankings. A total of 390 school districts were ranked. The full list for New Jersey can be found here. Additionally, a Patch article can be found here....
The 48 Hour Rule
Is this new policy simply another mechanism designed to restrict BOE Members who want change from expressing an opinion? This change to BOE Policy 0164 requires that any new business be brought to the Board’s attention at least 48 hours before being brought up at a public meeting. According to Board President Angela Penna, it was advanced to help ensure...
Berkeley Heights Superintendent and BOE Remain Silent on Nepotism and Busing
Questions that have been asked multiple times over the course of Months Remain Unanswered Below are two email chains from BOE Candidate Sai Akiri to the Berkeley Heights BOE on questions connected to the costs of the Superintendent’s Nepotism case and the Busing Controversy that represented hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost revenue. The email chain on the Nepotism...
Board of Education Turnover Continues in Berkeley Heights
Seven Board of Education members have decided not to run for reelection since Dr. Melissa Varley took the helm at BHPS -Written by an Educator in the Community According to “Union County Votes,” the official election website of our county, two Berkeley Heights Board of Education (BOE) members are not running for reelection this year. As of the filing deadline,...
nj21st.com (with the exception of featured images and logo) is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
