Berkeley Heights Board of Education members pushed back Aug. 27 on a plan to replace one departed administrator with two new supervisors.

Superintendent Kim Feltre recommended splitting the resigned Director of STEAM position, previously held by Kelly Curtiss, into two roles: Supervisor of Math and Technology, and Supervisor of Science and the Arts. She also proposed hiring a permanent assistant principal at Governor Livingston High School.

Two of three Personnel Committee members present opposed the supervisor positions. Board member Natasha Joly said the district had achieved a new, lower cost baseline and should hold it. "We still have one budget," Joly said at the meeting, reported by NJ 21st.

Feltre countered that administrative costs fell 4% last year through attrition. She said the two positions would still keep spending below prior levels and called the committee discussions "stalled." She added that she has backup plans depending on the board's vote.

Board President Deb Terrero suggested focusing on the two supervisor positions first and revisiting the assistant principal hire later in the fall. Feltre agreed. Joly flagged a process concern: the vote was not listed as an action item on the Aug. 27 agenda, limiting public notice.

No vote was taken.

Settlement requires independent security audit

The board disclosed a settlement agreement requiring several corrective steps: an independent audit of school security, a crisis-team review, improved cooperation among county, local and school officials, a review of parent contact information, and a check that student records are not shared inappropriately.

The district did not publicly identify the other party to the settlement or describe the underlying dispute. Existing security measures include vestibules, key-card entry, the Raptor visitor ID system, Class III officers and a crisis plan.

Referendum projects: security work 20% done

Joly, reporting for the Finance and Facilities Committee, said voter-approved security upgrades were 20% complete as of Aug. 27 and expected to finish by the end of September. Public address and clock systems at Governor Livingston, Columbia Middle School, Hughes and Mountain Park were 75% complete. Security cameras on buses are still pending.

The district authorized $50,352,000 in bonds in April for the referendum-funded improvements, according to Berkeley Heights News. Mechanical systems, media center upgrades and science lab work at several schools are scheduled for summer 2027, with bidding expected this fall. Other projects are slated for 2028 through 2030.

Resident challenges strategic plan

During public comment, resident John Migueis questioned whether the district's new strategic plan meaningfully includes academic proficiency as a measure of success, TAPinto reported. The plan's "Three Core Pillars" focus on whole-child development, academic excellence, and family and community engagement. Under the K-5 whole-child pillar, the target is for 90% of students to identify their "zone of regulation" through self-reporting. Board member Tom Foregger questioned the self-reported metric, noting that if students evaluate themselves the result would be "100 percent."

Other business

The board approved releasing Doc Replay, a locally built tool that shows a document's editing history in real time, as open-source for other districts. Technology Director Jeremy Marx created the program.

Teachers' union negotiations were declared at an impasse and will move to mediation. Terrero described the impasse as a normal part of collective bargaining. A staff privacy policy, Policy 3324, failed after nearly an hour of debate over whether staff should be allowed to photograph students on personal devices while students are banned from using phones.

Business Administrator Jennifer Nicholson read a resolution urging state legislators to address rising public-employee health benefit costs, citing premium increases approaching 35% for the 2027 plan year.

The next Berkeley Heights BOE meeting is Sept. 24 at 6:30 p.m., with the public session starting at approximately 7:30 p.m.