2 N.J. schools are closing, enraging parents. ‘There is no plan,’ board member says.
Facing a $3 million deficit that is expected to worsen, the Middletown Board of Education recently voted to close two elementary schools, angering parents and students alike.
The school board voted 5-4 during a tense and conflicted meeting on Feb. 26 to direct officials to prepare a budget that calls for the closure of Leonardo Elementary School and Navesink Elementary School.
“What concerns me most about this proposal is not just the proposal, but how we got here,” said school board member Mark Soporowski. “We are discussing closing schools due to years of financial mismanagement and failure to plan for the long term.”
Monmouth County last year school board approves 10.1% tax increase to save two schools and Bayshore Middle School. However, this harsh measure was not enough to close the gap.
Instead, it was a “temporary bridge” to buy time, officials said in a recent report. restructuring plan. If the status quo continues, the region could face a deficit of nearly $14 million by the end of the decade.
According to the restructuring plan, Leonardo and Navesink will be combined into a single school to be called Bayshore Elementary School. Bayshore Middle School students will be relocated to two nearby middle schools, Thorne and Thompson.
In the restructuring plan, officials said the closures are expected to save the district $3.5 million to $4 million annually. Bayshore Middle School was not mentioned in the Feb. 26 resolution voted on by members.
But the plan lacks a comprehensive strategy to solve the district’s financial crisis and would lead to overcrowding, according to Soporowski and other board members who oppose the closures. They said the financial crisis has been known for years but authorities have not taken appropriate action to fix it.
“There are no plans,” school board member Erin Torres said NJ.com. “Every question I asked about this plan was met with general responses.”
Health insurance premiums have increased and other factors have also contributed to the rising budget deficit, according to Torres, who joined the board this year. But he added that it is still unclear what exactly caused the crisis.
“I know this is going on and they’re using one-time revenue sources to pad the budget,” Torres said. “And it wasn’t handled the way it should have been.”
The district of about 8,800 students still faces multimillion-dollar budget shortfalls over the next few years if it continues on its current path, with tax levies expected to increase by only 2% each year, according to district officials.
Board chairman Chris Aveta did not respond to a request for comment.
The region’s changing leadership further complicates the issue. Superintendent Jessica Alfone announced last month that she would retire at the end of the school year to pursue education-related opportunities in the private sector.
His Feb. 12 letter did not address the district’s financial crisis.
During the meeting’s public comment period, students urged board members to keep schools open and share stories about what they and their teachers mean to them.
During the meeting, which lasted more than five hours, citizens repeatedly shouted and interrupted the speeches and booed some board members.
“We’re not just fighting for a school,” one parent said. “We are here for all schools”
The recently announced restructuring plan closely mirrors “Middletown Reimagined,” the district’s controversial plan to restructure the district amid a looming budget deficit.
happened vehemently opposed by the community at the time.
NJ.com Staff writer AJ McDougall contributed to this report.
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