East Brunswick Mayor Touts Improved School Board Ties, Outlines Joint Projects

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — Mayor Brad Cohen used his annual State of the Township address Tuesday to speak optimistically about the relationship between the municipality and the East Brunswick Board of Education.

He called it a meaningful turnaround after a period of friction between the two governing bodies.

“We'll make no mistake or hide the fact that there's been some issues over the past, but with a new superintendent in place, new board president, we are in a good place, and I'm proud to say that we are in a good working relationship with the Board of Education,” Cohen said.

He did not detail the specific disputes that had divided the township and the school board in recent years.

He pointed to a series of new agreements and shared initiatives as evidence that the two entities are now working in closer alignment on behalf of residents who, "have paid for all of those facilities," he said.

Among the most concrete examples of the improved relationship is a newly signed agreement allowing the East Brunswick High School hockey program to use the East Brunswick Ice Arena, the $33 to $34 million municipal facility set to open March 22.

The township also continues to share school buses and bus drivers for its summer camp program.

Cohen also outlined plans to direct a portion of the township's PILOT — Payment in Lieu of Taxes — revenue toward school capital projects in the coming years.

Under state law, PILOT funds directed to schools can only be used for capital expenditures, not the district's general operating budget. With that in mind, Cohen said the township repaved the parking lot at Warnsdorfer Elementary School last year and is planning to fund a new snack bar and outdoor bathrooms at the high school football field in 2026 or 2027.

The mayor also floated the idea of using state grant money to build a shared indoor pool on high school property rather than at Crystal Springs Park, where it had originally been envisioned.

The proposal would allow the school district to use the pool while classes are in session, with the facility open to township residents at other times.

"I don't believe any child should finish East Brunswick public schools without knowing how to swim," Cohen said, noting that the township has seen drownings in recent years that he described as entirely preventable.

The township and school board are also working together on agreements that would make it easier for community groups to use both municipal and school facilities.

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